Nowadays, online social engineering scams are on the rise and anyone could be a victim if care is not taken. But how do you prevent a social engineering attack?
To say scammers and fraudsters are everywhere is not an overstatement. In fact, these criminals have sophisticated tricks and they are looking for potential victims.
Scams can come in various forms and they are usually presented in unsuspecting manners. It could be investment scams where an unknown person will sell you about dubious business ideas in order to do away with your money.
The usual aim of scammers is to hurt you and this can be done by doing away with your hard-earned money. Also, they can steal and sell your personal information to evil people on the web. Whichever scam it is, the result is usually very regrettable!
What’s social engineering?
Online social engineering scams occur when scammers emotionally manipulate you into handing over your personal information. They take advantage of human behaviour and trick you into thinking they are the real deal.
Social engineering scams may start with criminals viewing personal information you posted online. The attack can come in many different forms and this is why it’s important to be more careful with your personal information.
Social engineering attacks use a combination of technology, human nature, and willingness to trust as well as deception to scam victims out of money and sensitive data. The following are the most common forms of digital social engineering attacks…
#1]. Phising, smishing, vishing
Scammers will try to reach you via every possible means such as email, SMS, and even phone calls. They sometimes do this by pretending to be your bank. Also, these scammers can even pretend to be your telephone company.
If it is legitimate contact, a company will always get in touch with you or contact them through official company communication channels.
#2]. Capturing curiosity
Curiosity is how human being evolves; in fact, it’s a big part of human nature. However, our curiosity is also a weakness for scammers to exploit. Always try to keep your computer secure by scanning every downloaded file with reputable anti-virus software.
Found an abandoned USB stick? Never put it into your computer because it offers an easy way for hackers to break in and have access to your computer and valuable files and documents.
#3]. Quid pro quo
Scammers and fraudsters have become smarter than you think. Quite often, scammers will offer you something like technical assistance and it’ll sometimes sound legit.
Not only that, but scammers can also pretend to offer you access to a protected document, or a solution for a problem. In most cases, they wouldn’t ask for money or a fee because their main goal is to be able to have access to your login details, which they can later sell or use.
#4]. Pretexting
Pretexting is when a hacker gathers information on you in order to gain your trust. They can easily do this through impersonation. For example, scammers can impersonate someone from your workplace and request changes to payments. This kind of social engineering commonly targets finance teams and it’s often successful.
Preventing social engineering attacks
How do you prevent social engineering scams attack? As a matter of fact, social engineering attacks are surely on the rise and anyone could be a victim.
This is why you have to be very careful with your personal information. Most reputable antivirus software such as Avast can protect you from phishing emails, including suspicious links and downloads.
However, social engineering mainly plays on the weaknesses of human nature. Therefore, it’s important for you to be aware of and familiar with what various types of social engineering scams look like. Below are some of the best ways to avoid social engineering scams:
#1]. Don’t reveal your Pins or Passwords
Never reveal your PINs or Passwords via email or phone no matter how legitimate the request seems. Companies don’t ask for this important information this way.
#2]. Call them back
If you receive a call from a company requesting sensitive information, ask for their full name and call back on the number from their website.
#3]. Resist the urge to click
Stop clicking on a suspicious link from anyone no matter how legitimate the link looks. Even if you think you know them, you have to always double-check the web address before clicking.
#4]. Think twice
If something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Even if it sounds and looks like it’s coming from a reputable source.
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