Stay Secure - Don't Get Caught in a Phishing Scam

Michael Weitzman • February 8, 2023

Email Phishing Scams are On The Rise. Watch out for some of these tell tale signs.

Phishing scams are a type of cybercrime that involves tricking people into giving out sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card numbers, by posing as a trustworthy entity. These scams can be sophisticated and difficult to spot, but there are ways to protect yourself. In addition to protecting your personal email and information, it is also important to protect your business with security tools that monitor, prevent, and if necessary clean malware infections and virus issues precipitated from phishing.



Here are some of the most common phishing scams and how to avoid becoming a victim. These are just examples, and this is not specific advice for anyone. We're just sharing some simple tips here that can help you avoid compromising your personal information online.



Email Phishing

Image of example Phising Red Flax

Email Phishing: In email phishing, scammers send emails that appear to be from a reputable source, such as a bank or online retailer, asking for personal information. 


To avoid falling for this scam, DO NOT CLICK ON LINKS IN EMAILS THAT YOU'RE NOT EXPECTING, and always hover over the links to see the URL before clicking. Make sure that URL is the URL for a company you deal with, look for typos or subdomains that don't make sense. 


The last part of the domain should be the company's URL. For example, verizon.scammer.com would be the scammer using verizon's name as a subdomain. but account.verizon.com would be Verizon's domain. Make sure you HOVER first to preview the link URL because the text can say one thing and be linked to another.


Additionally, be wary of emails that ask for personal information, as most companies will not request this information via email.

Sketchy Attachments

Voice Mail Attachment Emails are Phishing Scams

Here is another example of a phishing scam with the intent of having the user download a malicious file attachment that could compromise and share their personal information such as account numbers and passwords.


Most phone companies do not send voicemail messages as .HTML attachments. Maybe, just maybe as .mp3 or .mp4 but usually voicemail by email will come from a specific recognized company that you pay for and recognize and would have a link to listen to the voicemail along with a transcription of the call if available. 


If you don't recognize the sender or the file type in the attachments, don't click and report it as phishing to your email provider.

Other Common Types of Phishing

  1. Smishing: Smishing is a type of phishing scam that takes place via text message. The text will often contain a link that leads to a fake website where the scammer can steal your information. To avoid falling for this scam, do not click on links in text messages from numbers you do not recognize, and do not respond to text messages that ask for personal information.


  2. Voice Phishing: Voice phishing, also known as vishing, is a type of phishing scam that takes place over the phone. The scammer will call and pretend to be a representative of a bank or other organization, asking for personal information. To avoid falling for this scam, never give out personal information over the phone, especially if the call is unsolicited.


  3. Clone Websites: Clone websites are fake websites that are designed to look exactly like a legitimate website. They are often used in phishing scams to trick people into giving out sensitive information. To avoid falling for this scam, always double-check the URL of a website before entering any personal information, and look for a padlock icon in the address bar, which indicates a secure connection.


In conclusion, phishing scams can be difficult to spot, but by being cautious and taking steps to protect your personal information, you can avoid becoming a victim. Remember to be skeptical of unsolicited emails, text messages, and phone calls, and never give out personal information unless you are certain of the identity of the person or organization you are communicating with.


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