Social engineering scams becoming more common than computer viruses – What you need to know to avoid them

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When I started Computer Techs in 2003, the most common danger on the computer was the virus. The computer virus was often spread through email attachments. Fast forward 20 years, now the most common danger is social engineering scams. And what was once just random guesses of people’s email addresses, now scammers also use phone numbers to call or send messages to contact their potential victims.

These days scammers and hackers have a lot more information about you due to website data breaches and the treasure trove of information that has been exposed about you – such as your name, email/physical address, phone number – and sometimes passwords. They often use that information to send emails, text messages or phone calls to persuade you to that there’s a problem that needs immediate attention. Examples of what they want you to do include:

• Click a link or open an email attachment. Links often lead to look-alike websites in which you are asked to provide personal information – such as username and password – or even financial information
• Call a number provided in the email or message so that you can dispute a (false) charge or purchase that was made
• Request remote access to your computer or smartphone to fix or help with an account problem

When you receive such messages or calls – do not act immediately, it’s likely a scam. Instead read the following information to help you determine the authenticity of what you just received.

Can you spot a “phish”? Check out these phishing and fake email examples – Computer Techs

Avoid Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks – CISA

What is Social Engineering? Examples and Prevention Tips – Webroot

Top 5 computer and phone scams to watch out for – Computer Techs