Nowadays, you can access everything online from shopping to banking, and even socializing. But despite all that, it still doesn’t protect you from sneaky people with harmful intentions. While not everyone will encounter scammers, it’s best to be aware of the red flags to spot in order to stay safe from these potential threats.
Here are four red flags, as written in our ‘Wag Magpaloko! How to Protect Your Data and Avoid Cyber Scams guide, that you can spot to help you avoid potential threats:
- Unsolicited calls or messages
Have you ever gotten an unexpected call in the middle of the day where the caller claims to be from a certain authority (mostly local and trusted authorities like the police) and asks for your one-time password for something? If it’s not obvious enough, that is actually a major red flag. First of all, these authorities will never ask for your sensitive information unless you’re on a secure channel. Scammers nowadays often pretend to be government officials and trusted entities to trick you into giving them sensitive information that they can use for shady things, such as withdrawing your money.
2. Unrecognized e-mails
If you receive emails with mismatched addresses, suspicious links, unusual domain names, or typos, that may be a warning sign to be cautious and verify whether the email came from a reliable source. Avoid clicking on the links inside the email or responding to it, as clicking on it might compromise your personal information.
3. Too good to be true offers
If you’ve encountered pop-ups, emails, or even text messages claiming that you’ve won something valuable, like a huge amount of money, a brand new vehicle, a house-and-lot, the latest smartphone, or more, it’s most likely a scam. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. However, if you feel like it might be real, it never hurts to confirm. But it’s best that you should avoid these, especially if they ask for personal details or prompt you to click suspicious links.
4. Urgent demands for action
One major red flag is urgent demands for action. Scammers try to make you panic so you won’t have time to think critically. Watch out for urgent requests through calls, texts, or pop-ups that pressure you to act quickly and ask for sensitive information. They might also direct you to fake websites to steal your details.
Now that you’re aware of some of the red flags to watch out, it is also important to remember to think before you click!
