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Phishing? What is that?

Phishing is a cybercrime in which you can be contacted by email, phone call, or text by a "legitimate institution" to get your personal information and extort you with it.

This data may be used to steal your identity or money and commit crimes in your name.

Student loses $3K after clicking fake bank link (CTVNews, 2023).

How can I identify a phishing email?

There are some key aspects to take into account.
    1. Too good to be true. (You won a cellphone, the lottery...)
    2. It may seem urgent
    3. It has links that seem odd that lead to external sites
    4. Attachments (photos, videos, pdf, etc). 
Note: the only file type that is always safe to click on is a .txt.
    5. Unusual sender. 
Watch out for misspellings in case the remittent "is" someone you know.

Watch this hacker break into a company.

How can I protect myself from phishing via emails?

  • Use spam filters in your emails.
  • Set your browser to prevent fraudulent websites from opening.
  • Change the passwords of your websites regularly.
  • If an email has a link, hover over the URL before opening it. Safe websites must start with https://

Always watch out for unknown numbers before answering your calls, unknown or odd email directions before opening your emails, and ALWAYS be careful about what information you give digitally.

References: 

CTVNews. (2023, October 4). CTVNews on TikTok. TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@ctvnews/video/7286168336755477765?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7288369590500345350

Espacios.net.mx. (n.d.). Pishing y pharming: conoce sus diferencias y aprende a evitarlos. [Online]. In espacios.net.mx. https://www.espacios.net.mx/que-es-phishing-pharming/ 

Phishing.org. (2019). What is Phishing? Phishing.org. https://www.phishing.org/what-is-phishing

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