How to stay alert against Phishing Attacks?
When you log in to your online accounts, it’s important to make sure you are on the official website. Sometimes, hackers make fake websites that look just like the real one to steal your login information. This is called phishing.
What is Phishing?
- When hackers try to trick you into sharing your email, password, or other personal information.
- They may use emails, texts, or phone calls.
- Fake login websites are one of the most common ways hackers steal accounts.
What Phishing Looks Like
Imagine you receive an email or text that looks like it’s from your social media account:
You get an email that looks like it’s from the website, like Instagram, Facebook, Google, etc.
The email asks you to log in right away because something is “wrong” with your account, “Someone is trying to access it,” or “Update your Settings before you lose access.”
You click the link provided in the message for quick access without checking. This is normal, as they try to trigger the sense of urgency in the users.
The website looks real, but it is fake. When you type your username, password, and 2FA codes to log in, the hacker gets your credentials and accesses your account alongside you on the official website. For them, this is usually automated.
❗Now the hacker has access to your account and can edit all your security features, change your email, username, and password, and reset your 2FA codes.
Red Flags to Look For
Before you type your password, check for these warning signs:
- Urgent messages telling you to log in right away or you’ll lose something.
- Poor spelling or grammar in emails or messages.
- The website, email address, or message looks slightly different than usual (extra letters, missing letters, or strange spelling or font).
- If you accidentally tap the link, the site doesn’t match the website you usually access when logging in. Ex.: faceebok.com instead of facebook.com
How the Authenticator App Can Help
Your Authenticator App saves the official website that belongs to your account and codes, plus the ones you choose to add. Ex.: you could add the amazon.co.uk website to your Amazon codes.
Now, when autofill is enabled on your Authenticator App, the app will alert you when the website you’re logging into does not match the saved one.
Stay Safe Online
- Always double-check that the website matches the official URL before entering login info.
- Pay attention to alerts from your Authenticator App about suspicious sites.
- If a message or site seems suspicious, don’t click the link or log in. Instead, open your browser and type the official website yourself.
- Report any phishing attempts to help protect others.
Your Authenticator App is here to help
It keeps your saved sites and codes safe, and alerts you if a website doesn’t match, so you can act before your account is at risk.