Protect Yourself from Cyber Scams

Have you ever been faced with a situation where every nerve in your body felt like it had to respond quickly to something?

I am willing to bet that either you were in a Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) mode or in just a classic Fear mode! Let us break down why this happens and how to guard against this, especially when interacting with people online.

Our Emotions and Instincts

As human beings, we want to expect the best in everyone around us. Even when we know that we might be wrong, there is an initial instinct to trust. This is true even for the most skeptical ones among us, who are just people who have learned to harness that initial instinct better. This “willingness to trust” is the emotion that scammers count on.

How to Spot a Scammer

Scammers are not limited to your geography or local region anymore in this globalized world. In the past 30 years, between phone calls, social media, direct messaging, emails, webpages, you name it, we have all been exposed to at least one scammer.

(If you have not been exposed to any scammer, super kudos to you! That is amazing!)

Scammers come in all colors, shapes, sizes, and personalities. In a way, they are indistinguishable from others! However, this is where your intuition matters. Your life experiences will raise a “Red Flag” when something seems too good to be true. Thus, if you feel you are being targeted or cannot trust what is being presented, always follow your intuition and take a step back.

Common Types of Online or Digital Scams

1. Excitement-driven: Presentation includes words such as; "Great investment opportunity"; "Once in a lifetime deal"; "Make lots of money in no time"; or my favorite “Download/Click now.” These types of words play with your emotions with messaging that is designed to create a knee-jerk reaction from you. The expectation is that you will make a quick decision based on your excitement at getting something unique.
2. Misinformation-driven: AI and digital tools can generate deepfake voices/videos, clone authentic-looking emails, and create seemingly reliable links that are designed to “phish” out your private information. Click that link and you might give away access to all your private information from your own device.
3. Threat-driven: Phone calls, text messages, or DMs can come from impersonators. These can imitate someone you know or appear to originate from a Government Agency (e.g., IRS). These scammers typically use fear-based tactics via threatening messages such as “pay now or you will go to jail,” “send me money because I am in deep trouble and can’t reach anyone else,” or “I am going to report you for stealing my money.” Do not let your fear guide you if you are unsure about the source.

In all these cases, the reliability of sources is easy to cross-check outside of your email, webpage, app, or mobile phone. As a Cybersecurity professional with over 20 years of experience, let me tell you this:

“Don’t let your emotions guide your decisions if you want to avoid getting scammed.”

Join me next week for another cyber tip!!!

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Ranbir B. & CyberCulture are the solutions to cybersecurity that you have been waiting for.