Types of communication you should never click on

It’s the middle of a monotonous work week; you’re in your swivel chair and browsing through endless work emails on your laptop. Amidst the humdrum, you spot an email that stands out with a rather alarming subject line: Your bank account is at the risk of closure; complete your KYC to secure it now. Hurriedly, of course, you end up clicking on it, and unsurprisingly, it asks for your account details. On a regular day, you may have questioned the need to enter your PIN, but you want to avoid a mid-day run to your nearest bank branch. What follows is a series of text messages indicating a withdrawal you certainly didn’t make.

Digital communication, although a boon, can be a bane when it comes to scammers who prefer using it as their hunting ground. And while we like to think we’re vigilant, most scams are performed under the guise of harmless texts and emails that are easy to mistake as genuine. With advancing technology, it becomes increasingly difficult to catch hold of malicious texts, but we’ve listed a few common ones you are likely to come across. Read on to find out — and avoid!

WhatsApp and Text communication

Text messages, although more or less redundant today, are still the primary mode of communication for several institutions. For everything else, we have instant messaging WhatsApp chats. However, due to the ease of availability and multiple data breaches, there are several means scammers resort to for easy money. Here are some commonly used methods:

Bank account links: Bank account links that lead you to a KYC page are a common type of fraud message. The best way to identify one is by looking for a typo, formatting error or an unusual URL within the text.

Fake job notifications: While finding a ‘Congratulations, you have been shortlisted!’ message is heartening, there’s a good chance that it is a scammer posing as a fake employer to get your attention. Alternatively, you might even receive a too-good-to-be-true job offer that may rope you into giving away your bank account details. Running a quick background check on the organisation and the employer could help you determine the opportunity better.

Subscription updates: If you’ve received a message stating your OTT subscription is about to expire, you’re probably going to want to click on the link to get it updated for yourself at the soonest. However, it is crucial to check your email and the concerned app for any in-app communication regarding the same. The links in these messages are an easy way for a trickster to access any bank or personal information.

Missed delivery: We often lose track of parcels coming in, especially if we’ve ordered across more than one platform. In times like these, finding a text message stating you’ve missed your delivery could seem concerning. However, several times, the contact details on this message lead you to an automated communication. This further asks you to dial a code followed by your cell phone number. Unknowingly, this diverts all your calls, including login authentication calls, to the scammer’s phone.

Email communication

A lot of us still prefer emails when it comes to official communication with an organisation. However, the earliest forms of hoaxes were identified as emails. A lot of what began as chain emails have progressed into complicated frauds that are not so easy to spot. Here are a few you might have come across:

Imitation emails: It is now fairly simple to create an email address that looks similar to that of an established organisation, making it easy to prey on users who aren’t paying attention. However, it is quite possible you might receive a security advisory for an untrusted email address. Before you click on a link, make sure you have a closer look at the extension of the given address.

‘Official’ notices: Anything that prompts a user to take immediate action is more likely to grab their attention. More often than not, ‘official’ notices will show up as government agencies, urging you to click on a link to tend to your compromised security or to submit any official documents.

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E-commerce offers: The promotions tab is home to a lot of emails we’d probably never read. However, if there’s an offer too good to be missed out on, there’s a fair chance you might end up clicking on it. E-commerce scam emails typically have a coupon code that can be redeemed on the website. However, these codes can be malicious and can pose a threat to your information as well as your system. While most of them automatically end up in your junk inbox, it is best to keep an eye out for suspicious communication from any e-commerce portal that doesn’t normally send out one.

Surveys: Receiving surveys is relatively common on emails, but they are also a common data mining practice for scammers. Although seemingly harmless, it automatically gives away your contact details along with other information that you may not typically put out on your public profile. If your email domain gives you the option to download images, it is possible that the email does not come from a legitimate source.

Social media communication

Everyone today has their presence on some or the other social media. Apart from the fact that a lot of information is freely available for use to many, it is also effortless to create a fake profile for yourself on a platform. Here are some scams that you can look out for:

Imposter account communication: Ever found a suspicious account of your friend and wondered why they are posting strange links on their profile? There’s a good reason for that: imposter accounts are commonly found, and they end up mimicking your contacts or public figures to mislead users in their contact list every now and then. As a rule, it is best to report any duplicate accounts of your friends and inform them of the activity, as it is likely that they are being impersonated.

Crypto investment messages: Cryptocurrency may be the next big thing, but so are crypto scams. Fake cryptocurrency and investment scams start off as regular communication through a profile but quickly move towards trying to rope you into a money-making scheme. While it may be difficult to tell genuine accounts apart from fake ones, a tell-tale sign will involve the scammer promising high returns without any risks. The scammer will also claim to be an expert and boast of insider knowledge of the market. Looking up official financial institutions in your country could help you determine if the person reaching out is genuine.

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Fake online store scam: Instagram stores online are a booming market for small businesses. But because of a lack of regulations, anyone today can double up as an online store claiming to sell goods at a lower price. These accounts use images of the products along with genuine descriptions and only accept orders on Instagram. However, once the payment is processed, you might either receive a fake product or nothing at all. Checking up on Google store reviews online can help you tell if the account is a genuine merchandiser. Comments can also help in being an indicator if you find yourself confused.

Giveaways: Both big and small Instagram accounts have frequent giveaways for their dedicated followers. However, once you are deemed eligible, the con accounts reach out with a link to process shipping fees to get the product delivered. While there’s no good way to tell if the giveaway is real, more often than not, larger accounts will not ask for a fee or payment to get these products delivered to you. It also helps if the public figure is well-known and has genuine followers attesting to the giveaway products.

Staying safe on the internet has truly become a necessity. Having a strong password, enabling two-factor authentication and keeping your eyes glued for any abnormalities within text or call communication can help you stay more alert online.