You are quietly working at the computer, and suddenly a letter arrives in the mail with a message from the employees of a company you know.
How to understand that the methods of social engineering are being tested on you and not giving any chance to criminals? Pay attention to the following nuances:
- Spelling and punctuation errors, too formal stylistics of the text, and lack of logic and structure of the letter should alert you. Scammers do not always pay attention to literacy in order to get quick results.
- The sender’s address with incorrect or missing characters, as well as a kind of “abracadabra” – a marker by which you can identify a scammer.
- The letter requires an immediate response, and after reading it there is a sense of urgency. There is no time for reflection: the target action must be taken immediately, and this is what the criminal expects.
- Request for personal data and confidential information. Remember that reputable companies never ask you to send them passwords or other personal information via email or messenger. If this happens, contact the managers using the contacts posted on the official website of the organization.
- Are you told about a dizzying win or a huge legacy? We recommend that you be skeptical of such messages and check the information even if it seems true.
How to defend against the attack
- Pay attention to the sender’s address and the site where you intend to leave personal data: we recommend checking the SSL certificate, the domain name (it should not contain letters or missing the necessary characters), as well as contact numbers, and company details.
- Do not work with important data in the presence of strangers. Scammers can use this situation to learn passwords or obtain other important information.
- Curiosity is a feeling that sometimes makes us open a file, forgetting about security. Be vigilant: do not go to questionable resources and do not download unknown programs.
- Use different passwords to access personal and corporate mail, social networks, and banking applications.
- Antivirus promptly signals the presence of threats, “broken” files, spam, and unwanted programs. This acquisition will definitely pay off and save not only your data but also a lot of nerve cells.
Social engineering is a phenomenon that can be resisted if you follow simple rules and stay vigilant. If you are worried about keeping confidential information when making online payments, choosing a reliable service will be a great solution. Portmone is an audited company certified to meet PCI DSS international standards. We use tokenization technology to protect online transactions and ensure the complete security of our customers’ funds and data.
