Can you spot a phishing email? Take this test and find out!

Credit to Author: Rajiv Singha| Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2018 09:30:20 +0000

Estimated reading time: 3 minutesOne of the oldest, nastiest and most lucrative tools used by hackers is phishing – a method to fool you into revealing your personal and sensitive information such as debit/card numbers, passwords, ATM pin, date of birth – any data that can personal identify you. Here’s an example of a classic phishing attack: You receive an email from your bank warning you that your banking account will be TERMINATED unless you verify yourself by sharing details such as your ATM PIN, existing login ID and password, debit card number, and the CVV code. Thinking this to be important and believing what the email just informed you, you do as you were told to – you give away all these confidential details. But what has actually happened? You just gave away all this information to a hacker who tricked you with a fake email and a fraudulent story about your net banking account. You have been phished! And this is just one example of a ‘simply-designed’ phishing attack. There are phishing emails that are so cleverly done, even computer security experts fail to see through them sometimes. So, we’ve collated the below samples to let you test your skill in how to spot a phishing email? Good luck! Sample #1. Q. Is this a phishing email? • YES • NO Show Answer It is a phishing email!   Sample #2. Q. Is this a phishing email? • YES • NO Show Answer It is a phishing email!   Sample #3. Q. Is this a phishing email? • YES • NO Show Answer It is a phishing email! Sample #4. Q. Is this a phishing email? • YES • NO Show Answer It is a phishing email! Sample #5. Q. Is this a phishing email? • YES • NO Show Answer It is a phishing email!   If you got all the answers correct, then you are in the GREEN zone. If not, then don’t worry; just jot down the below tips on how to spot a phishing email. How to spot a phishing email? Remember, a phishing email… #1. Would always carry an urgent tone – something that requires you to take an immediate action. #2. Warns you of extreme consequences if you don’t do what’s been told you to do – just like in the example given above. #3. Lures you with money or offers that seem too irresistible to ignore. #4. Always urges you to click on a link, download an attachment, fill up a form or call on a number. #5. Might lure you with interesting proposals like finding a date or meeting someone from your city. #6. Misuses your emotion to trick you into paying up for charities or other social causes. Having said all of that, not every email from your bank or a charitable organization is fake. But to be on a safer side, verify the content of such emails first with the sender and then take an informed decision. As they say, “It’s better to err on the side of caution.” Stay safe! Share this post with your friends and help them know how to spot a phishing email.     This post has been updated as of 04.05.2018 The post Can you spot a phishing email? Take this test and find out! appeared first on Quick Heal Technologies Security Blog | Latest computer security news, tips, and advice.
http://blogs.quickheal.com/feed/