You would think after the harrowing year 2020 has proven to be – and with Santa loading his sleigh with COVID vaccine almost as we speak – the dangers of a historically tough year are almost behind us. But not so fast. This year, like every year, the holiday season brings with it increased threats to you and your loved ones’ cyber safety and the security of your personal data, mostly due to nefarious phishing scams.
top of page
WHAT IS PHISHING?
Phishing is a con method in which bad actors pretending to be legitimate entities email unsuspecting users and fraudulently attempt to acquire sensitive data, such as logins, passwords, and credit card information. Phishing scams almost always seemingly come from a trusted sender who urgently needs you to verify something related to your account; they might claim to be your insurance company asking you to confirm your social security number or perhaps your bank requesting you login to your online checking portal to update your address. So, you click on the link and are forwarded to a seemingly-legit-but-fraudulent landing page requesting you sign in using your credentials. The scammers capture your logins and other sensitive data – then pretty much do everything they can to exploit this information for their financial gain (AKA take you to the cleaners).
Last year, it was estimated email scams cost consumers more than $1.3 billion and that number tripled from just three years prior. Cybersecurity experts are particularly concerned about phishing scams and other cybercrimes this holiday season, due to the surge in online activity related to pandemic lockdowns.
bottom of page
Comments