The Internet Era is a boon to humanity in many ways. It has helped make financial transactions, communication, working lifestyle much more leisurely as compared to what it was ten years ago. Though it is beneficial in many aspects, it has increased the chances of crime due to the availability of online data. If you are being subjected to such an activity, a criminal defense lawyer near Bath, NY will help you evaluate the case and help give you great pointers on how to avoid further damage.
Phishing is the most common internet scam.
What is Phishing and How is it a Crime?
Phishing is when the recipient of an email is misguided to click a link and fill in the details like personal information, bank account details, passwords, OTP etc. The phisher then uses this information to carry out activities like using someone’s identity, carrying out financial transactions from the person’s account etc. Have you ever wondered about an email from a bank or some company asking for your personal details in a way that it doesn’t look scammy? It is nothing but a phishing scam.
What are the different ways frauds are carried out?
– Often, the mail is formatted to look authentic by using a company logo
– The email is personalized .i,e, it uses the name of the recipient to make it look legitimate
– It is written professionally so that the recipient trusts the brand.
-The phisher creates urgency in the mail to grab the offer.
– The recipient is asked to fill in the email and password, and the phisher uses the information to access the personal information.
– The recipient is asked to click on a link, and the hacker gets access to the files.
– The victim is asked to click on the attachment, which consists of the recipient’s favorite free tool. But instead gets some ransomware attack to corrupt the files.
– The recipient is misguided to click on the link to get huge prize money.
– The recipient is offered a business proposal with high financial gains in return for personal information.
There is no end to this and a criminal mind.
However, there are ways to protect yourself from such frauds.
What are a few simple ways to do so?
-Always verify email addressesÂ
-Do not get overwhelmed with Call to actions
-Do not click on suspicious links and attachments
-Use Antivirus software to protect from ransomware and virus attacks.
Make sure to consult an expert lawyer as soon as possible if you are charged with a phishing scam.
