As technology advances, new ways are being devised to promote computer crimes, such as smishing. This is a hybrid data theft technique that has been gaining popularity among black hat hackers. That is why, in this article, we will tell you what it is and how to detect and prevent it.
What Is Smishing, And How Does It Work?
Smishing is a type of cyber scam, and one uses SMS (mobile text messages). With it, the aim is to obtain the personal or banking information of the users to benefit from it. Its main difference compared to phishing is that, in this case, text messages are used, while phishing is done through email.
Although it is not a new technique (it appeared in 2008), its use has increased among current cyber criminals. This is due to the increase in the use of instant messaging applications such as WhatsApp or Telegram.
How Do I Know If I Am A Victim Of Smishing?
To detect smishing, you must understand that this technique seeks to deceive the victim to obtain their data. The criminals who dedicate themselves to this are increasingly professional and meticulous. You should be aware of their abilities and be extremely careful: do not play their game.
One of the main ways to achieve their tricks is manipulation, using psychology techniques. It is expected that fear, urgency, morbidity, curiosity, and solidarity are ways to achieve your goals. Be suspicious when a person contacts you and is too insistent about this.
If they send you a simple message with a link and an offer that is too tempting, they likely want to scam you. Just delete the message, block the number, or mark it as spam.
Tips To Avoid And Detect Smishing
Here are some tips and recommendations to detect if you are being a victim of smishing and thus avoid it:
You must be attentive to risk indicators.
Some assumptions could indicate that you are a victim of cybercriminals. Therefore, you should check if you receive:
- Bank messages or promotions from unknown numbers or that have strange codes: these SMS are especially dangerous if they have links.
- Unknown numbers in your call history: some computer programs make your phone make automated calls to specific numbers.
- Excessive data usage: If you notice that your phone consumes too much data, your information is likely being stolen.
- Inflated bill: spyware consumes excessive data. It will be reasonable to see that you have too many expenses per month in terms of data consumption telephone.
- Abnormal behavior on your phone: if the battery runs out quickly or your messages do not arrive efficiently, you likely suffer from spyware.
Never Trust Messages From Unknown Senders.
If you receive a message from your bank but it does not follow what banks commonly do, be suspicious. The banks will contact you and identify themselves appropriately. Likewise, if you receive messages in English that could be better translated or notifications in Spanish with very poor spelling, avoid accessing the links they send you.
Usually, text messages show lovely offers at a meager cost or for free. Be wary of those offers that are too tempting. The easiest way to avoid being a victim is by blocking text messages and deleting and blocking the numbers from which they are sent.
A Bank Operator Will Never Request Your Personal Information
The information related to your data, passwords, and credit card numbers is data that banks will NEVER request from you.
Verify The Identity Of The Person Calling You.
If you receive a call from a strange number, they are likely cybercriminals trying to impersonate the company or bank. If in doubt, access the internet and enter the number and the information they offer you. It will be easy to discover whether or not it is a scam.
Take Care Of Your Passwords Properly.
Currently, there are many ways to protect the security of your passwords and thus avoid digital scams. These are:
- Save your passwords or banking information using computer encryption. Avoid saving your keys in note apps without using encryption methods.
- Customize your security options with strong passwords and use double verification of your banking.
- Banks will never ask you for personal information. This is nothing more than an attempt to smirk on you.
The Great Importance Of Cybersecurity
Computer crimes have existed since the spread of the internet. Likewise, as the years go by, governments’ concern about this problem grows. As society becomes increasingly dependent on technology, it is easier for hackers to access systems and breach them from the inside.
Proof of this was the attacks carried out by cybercriminals in 2017 with the Wannacry computer virus< /span>, which even affected government and military systems. Likewise, its impact was such that the world panicked, and the alarms of a nuclear conflict went off. It is estimated that this virus caused more than 4 billion euros in damages. Computer data. This affected computers in Europe and the United States simultaneously. Wannacry violated security, impeded and destroyed
With this, we can understand the importance of disclosing information related to cybersecurity. We must become aware and be attentive to the type of information and content we consume on the internet. Techniques such as smishing have become much more effective and frequent thanks to new technologies such as 5G, so be sure to read our content about it.
Also Read : Cybersecurity Tips To Protect Your Business
