Summary

The provided web content discusses phishing tactics and how to recognize and avoid them to protect personal information from cyber-criminals.

Abstract

The article titled "Who’s Phishing For You?" addresses the growing threat of phishing attacks, where cyber-criminals use emails, phone calls, or text messages to trick individuals into revealing sensitive personal information. It emphasizes the importance of vigilance against unsolicited messages that promise quick weight loss, prizes, or urgent requests for personal data. The author, Stella Martann, advises readers to ignore and delete suspicious messages, avoid clicking on unknown links, and ensure that web addresses start with "https" for security. The article also suggests conducting internet searches to verify suspicious phrases and to mouse over links to check their authenticity. In case of being a victim of cyber-crime, the FBI's cyber security resources are recommended for assistance and reporting. The piece concludes with a call to action for readers to protect themselves and share this information, as well as an invitation to support the author by becoming a Medium member.

Opinions

The author believes that responding to suspicious texts or emails can confirm to cyber-criminals that they have an potential victim, leading to further targeting.
Stella Martann underscores the importance of not engaging with unsolicited messages that seem too good to be true, such as offers of significant weight loss or unexpected prizes.
The article conveys a strong opinion that creating a sense of urgency is a common tactic used by scammers to prompt hasty, unconsidered actions from victims.
The author suggests that proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling are indicators of legitimate communications from businesses, whereas awkward language may signal a phishing attempt.
Martann encourages readers to be proactive in verifying the legitimacy of messages and to use the FBI's resources if they suspect they have been targeted by cyber-crime.
The author promotes the idea of supporting writers on Medium by becoming a member, which also provides unlimited access to all Medium content.

Who’s Phishing For You?

Are You A Shark Or Shark Bait?

Image by Tumasu at Pixabay and modified by author Stella Martann

What is “Phishing?”

Phishing is a type of cyber crime.

Cyber-criminals phish for potential victims by email, phone, or text posing as legitimate institutions to entice individuals into providing personal information such as; banking and credit card details, medical data, and passwords ……. etc.

These cyber-criminals then use the scammed confidential info to access your personal accounts stealing your identity, applying for credit, filing your income taxes, stealing your money and maybe your home.

I have been aware of phone and email phishing for decades; it wasn’t until the last year that I began getting phishing texts and SMSs.

My first phishing SMS was crazy, “click here to lose 60 lbs in 60 days.”

I thought, holy crap, if I dropped 60 lbs, I’d be dead. LOL.

My next thought was scam, and I instantly deleted it.

I considered texting back “stop” and then remembered to do nothing.

I had learned from research if you do not know the source — do not respond — delete.

If you do respond, the cyber-shark then knows they have live bait and save your data.

Spam texts and emails vary in content, and some of the following essential guidelines can help protect you and your personal information.

If the text or email is from someone you do not know, delete it or ignore it.

Is the message relevant, or is it unsolicited and entirely random?

If the message states that you have won a contest, a prize, or money — it is likely a scam — delete it.

Do not click on links inside an email or text unless you know who sent the link and where it’s going.

Scammers want to create a sense of urgency and will demand immediate action. Legitimate solicitations have less urgency.

The Shark’s goal is to get you to click on a link and provide personal information without thoroughly thinking it through.

Awkward language skills like poor grammar and misspelled words often identify a phishing scam.

Real text messages from legitimate businesses will use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Phishing messages usually give minimal information and urge you to take action now.

If the message asks you to “click here” to confirm a package delivery or to obtain a refund, it is probably a scam.

An increasingly popular scam is the one that says “There’s a delivery problem with your recent purchase.” Do not take the bait!

If you do get such a message and you do have a pending delivery — contact the vendor or the shipper to verify there is a problem.

If you do not have any pending orders — delete the message immediately.

If you get an email from an unknown source and you want to check if it’s legit — enter the link into your browser manually and follow-up only after you have determined the sender’s legitimacy.

If you get an unsolicited phone call - ask the caller for a number so you can call them back - they will most likely hang up.

Do not answer your phone if you do not recognize the number. If it is a legitimate caller, they will leave a message.

Do not rush into action with an unknown source — do your due diligence —first confirm the legitimacy of the source of the email, text, or phone call.

As they say, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

If you get a request to provide sensitive information, be sure that the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of the web address begins with “https,” not just “http.”

The “s” is significant, it means the site address is “secure.”

It’s not a guarantee that the site is authentic; however, most legitimate sites use “https” because of the extra level of security.

Scammers love unsecured “http” sites since access is easier.

Be cautious if you sense something funky about an email or text; pull a name or phrase from the message and type it into a search engine and see if any phishing warnings come up.

You can also mouse over the link to see if it is authentic.

If you or someone you know is a victim of cyber-crime contact the FBI immediately at

The FBI wants to help you and they want to get the criminals.

Follow these steps to protect yourself and share this vital information with your loved ones.

Thank you for your time, and I hope you enjoyed reading my article. If you would like unlimited access to all Medium content — please support the other writers and me and become a member — it’s only $5 a month or $50 a year. Please click this link to become a member of my Medium family. When you use my link to join, I will receive a portion of your monthly or yearly fee.

Gratefully Yours, Stella

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I am a digital nomad; please follow my travels throughout the Pacific Coast of America from the Southern to the Northern borders — Here’s the link to my YouTube channel. Make it a GREAT DAY!