Tips for Recognizing Malicious Links

📱⚠️ Just received my first #smishing (SMS phishing) attempt during the holiday season from a #cybercriminal, and it's a classic example of social engineering at work. The text claimed to be from United States Postal Service, stating a package couldn't be delivered due to incomplete address details, and it asked me to confirm my address via a link. Once you click on the link....bad things will happen. You might so to #phishing website designed to steal your username and password or other sensitive info. In the wake of Black Friday, many of us are eagerly awaiting package deliveries, making this scam particularly insidious. While you might not fall for such a ploy, think about your family members who might not be as vigilant. 🧐 #CyberSecure Mindset Tips: Verify Independently: Don’t trust unsolicited texts. Contact the courier or retailer directly through their official website or customer service number. Don’t Click Links: Avoid clicking on links in unsolicited messages. They often lead to fake websites designed to steal your information. Educate Your Circle: Share these tips with friends and family. Awareness is key to prevention. Report Suspicious Messages: Forward these texts to spam reporting numbers or report them to the appropriate authorities. Remember, during my time with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), I learned that staying safe online requires a community effort. Let’s help each other out and keep our digital space secure. Have you or your loved ones encountered similar scams? Share your stories and let’s spread awareness! #CyberSecurityAwareness #SmishingScams #OnlineSafety #StayAlert #CommunitySafety

Hackers are targeting iPhone users in the U.S. through a new text message phishing scam aimed at stealing Apple IDs. These cybercriminals are sending deceptive messages that appear to come from Apple, but are actually designed to trick users into revealing their personal credentials. Apple ID credentials are highly valuable, as they grant control over devices, access to sensitive personal and financial information, and can be exploited for unauthorized purchases, putting money directly into the scammers' hands. Because users are more likely to trust messages that seem to come from a reputable company like Apple, these malicious actors are sending SMS messages that mimic Apple’s style. The messages often encourage recipients to click on a link and sign in to their iCloud accounts. For instance, a phishing text might say something like: "Apple important request iCloud: Visit signin[.]authen-connexion[.]info/icloud to continue using your services." To make the scam seem more legitimate, recipients are sometimes asked to complete a CAPTCHA challenge before being redirected to a fake iCloud login page. To protect your data and identity, here are seven tips: 1. Be wary of text messages that claim to be from Apple. Always verify the sender—if the message comes from an unfamiliar number, it’s likely not from Apple. Avoid clicking on any links that prompt you to access your iCloud account; instead, go directly to the official login page. 2. Enable multi-factor authentication on your Apple ID for added security, making it harder for unauthorized users to access your account. 3. Ensure your computer and mobile phone have security software set to update automatically. 4. Avoid clicking on links, replying to messages, or calling phone numbers from unknown sources. 5. Do not respond to unknown texts, even if they ask you to "text STOP" to unsubscribe. 6. Delete suspicious texts using the “delete and report as junk” feature within the Apple Messages app. 7. If you receive a message claiming to be from a company or government agency, verify the contact information by checking your bill or visiting the official website. As phishing scams and cyberattacks become increasingly sophisticated, it’s crucial to take a moment to verify before responding. Don’t rush—pause and double-check the source before taking any action. #DataBreach #DataSecurity #Cybersecurity

There is a wide-spread phishing campaign using QR codes to be aware of. What to look out for: The phishing campaign involves the following steps: Email: Email with a QR code. Recent emails have been pretending share a file from HR or a security team requiring multi-factor authentication to be setup.   Initial webpage: Scanning the QR code often leads the user an initial landing page containing a Captcha.   Phishing webpage: Once clicking the Captcha, it will redirect the user to a fake Microsoft 365 login page. This page is designed to capture login credentials, including username and password, and may also prompt multi-factor authentication to be completed. What you should do: Exercise caution when clicking links from emails: Always be cautious when clicking on links where it asks you to login, even if it originates from someone you know and trust since the sender may be compromised.   If you have any suspicion or if the email is unexpected, contact the sender on a known trusted method of communication independent of the email or contact information from the email.   Verify website when logging in: When you are logging into websites, verify the website is the correct address and not a look alike website.   Report suspicious emails: If you receive a suspicious email to your inbox that has not been captured by the spam filter, report the email to your security team.   Change your password and notify your security team: If you accidently entered your credentials into a website that you are not sure about, immediately reset your password and notify your security team. #phishingattacks #phishingawareness #cybersecurityawareness #cybersecurity

𝗕𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗻𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗺𝘀𝗅 🚨 It has come to our attention that a new phishing campaign is targeting individuals through SMS messages. The attackers are sending texts claiming that your delivery cannot be completed due to an incomplete house number, and they provide a link for you to update your address. ⚠️ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰: The link in the message redirects you to a fraudulent website. You are then asked to enter your personal details, including your credit card information. Once you enter your information, your credit card may be compromised and used for unauthorized transactions. 🛡 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟: 1. 𝐃𝐨 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬: Always double-check the legitimacy of the message before clicking on any links. 2. 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞: Contact the delivery service or company directly through their official customer service channels. 3. 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Legitimate companies will never ask for your credit card information through text messages or unsolicited emails. 4. 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬: If you receive such a message, report it to the relevant authorities or your mobile service provider. Stay vigilant and protect your personal information from these malicious schemes. Share this with your friends and family to help them stay safe online! #CyberSecurity #PhishingAlert #StaySafeOnline

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿. Let’s make sure you can spot their Phishing tricks before they catch you off guard. Phishing scam tricks are evolving, but so can you. Email scams are designed to exploit trust, fear, and urgency, and even the savviest business leaders can fall victim. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀? Spotting their tactics is easier than you think when you know what to look for. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀: 1. 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 Does the email really come from who it says it’s from? Look closely at the address. Scammers love tiny typos like service@bankofarnerica.com instead of service@bankofamerica.com. 2. 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆 Ever get a reply to an email you never sent? That’s a classic trick. Hackers count on you being too busy to question it. 3. 𝗛𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀 Don’t click! Just 𝗵𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 to see where it leads. A message saying it’s from your payroll department should never take you to a weird link. 4. 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 Got an email at 3 a.m. asking for immediate action? 𝗕𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹. Scammers often send messages at odd times to catch you off guard. 5. 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 Think twice before downloading anything unexpected. A random PDF or ZIP file could hide malware. 6. 𝗚𝗼 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝘂𝘁 Does the email feel off? Maybe the tone is weird, the grammar’s sloppy, or the request seems out of place. 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴—𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁. Phishing emails are 𝘀𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘆, but they’re 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. The more you know about how they work, the safer you’ll be. So next time your inbox starts making demands, take a breath, think it through, and remember these tips. What’s your go-to move for staying safe from scams? Let’s share some wisdom in the comments! Mike Rhea Intelligent Technical Solutions #StaySafeOnline #PhishingScams #EmailTips #CyberSecurityForBusiness #ProtectYourData #CyberAware #SmallBusinessOwners