PHISHING scams are usually very effective, because criminals use real information, such as users' names or telephone numbers. Cybercriminals can send fake emails pretending to be your friend, colleague, or a customer service representative.
Almost daily, we see reports in the news about people, even professionals, losing huge sums of money after being duped by these scammers.
"Personalised phishing emails look real and are very convincing. Be more vigilant than ever and check twice before clicking on any links, filling in forms, or transferring funds," said NordVPN cybersecurity expert Daniel Markuson.
"Even if you are a customer of the service allegedly sending the email, don't trust anything. Contact the organisation by phone before taking any potentially risky action," he said.
If you think a scammer could be in contact with you, here are some tips that can help you spot a phishing email:
CHECK the sender's address. Don't just trust the display name, pay attention to the email address. If the domain name looks suspicious (e.g. info@secure.twitter.com), don't open the email.
LOOK for spelling and grammar mistakes. Serious companies don't send out emails with bad grammar and basic spelling mistakes.
LOOK at the greeting. A legitimate institution or company should address you by your full name. If you see a vague "Dear user" instead, remain vigilant.
DON'T click on links. Instead, hover your mouse over the button to see the destination link. Check if it looks legitimate and if it contains "https" to indicate a secure connection. Some links can contain stealer malware, so make sure you trust the sender before clicking on anything.
WHEN in doubt, contact the company or person over the phone or an alternative email address to confirm that the email is legitimate.
IF you notice something unusual, report it to the authorities. Raising the alarm can help not only you, but others affected by the scam as well.