What is phishing, and how can I avoid it?

What is Phishing?

Phishing occurs when a hacker makes a message appear to come from an official source, such as a government agency, business partner, or bank, enticing you to enter your account or personal info and open an online door to danger.

A phishing scam can lead to identity theft or worse. Once you know what to look out for, it is important to know what to do next.

Tips to identify phishing.

• See if the email contains a link or attachment where you have to verify your personal details.
  These are often signs that something is wrong.
• Look carefully at who sent the e-mail.
  Even if it appears to be a recognised organisation, do not click on the link. Bear in mind that most major banks and government agencies have policies against asking for personal details via e-mail or phone.
• Go to the company's website and check your details directly, or call the official customer service department to verify that this is a genuine alert.
  This way, you go straight to the source, where you can find out the truth.
• If the email comes from an unknown source that still seems legitimate, search online to see if other people received similar messages and publicly reported scams. Those who discover scams are quite pumped up to tell the world about them.

If you are still unsure, contact the company that sent you the email using a contact method you used before, or through its official website. Do not use contact details from the email - they may be part of the scam.

What to do after phishing?

Oops, you panicked, clicked on the link, and entered your account info. Reason to panic? Nope.

The first thing you should do is change your online passwords linked to that same service: your bank, credit card, social media, third-party vendors, etc. That is the first line of defence against attacks.

Every online account needs its own unique, long and complex password - that way, even if an account is compromised, the damage can be limited.

Looking for a strong password?
Use our handy tool for creating a strong - uncrackable password.