Many websites require you to input personal information to gain access to services such as banking, movie streaming, and online shopping. While this provides convenience, it can be dangerous if you accidentally give your data to criminals. Phishing scammers will try to trick you into doing this, but you can protect yourself by being aware of the dangers and getting help from computer repair specialists if necessary. The guide below will help you avoid becoming a victim of phishing. 

What Is Phishing?

Phishing is the process of a scammer pretending to be someone you trust so that you’ll hand over important information. The most common method involves sending an email that looks like it’s from a familiar company.

Criminals hope that some people will believe it’s really from the company and will enter sensitive data. For example, they might pretend to be Netflix® and ask you to fill in your bank details to restart your account.

How Can You Spot It?

Although phishing emails look convincing at first, some signs can help you determine that they’re fake. Some emails will offer you a tempting incentive, such as money or a free trial. Others will send you to a fake login page and gain access to your account when you enter your username and password.

The sender’s email address may be different from the company’s usual one. Phishing emails often have improper spelling and grammar, and they commonly have generic greetings like “Dear customer,” instead of your name. They’ll contain links that might look similar to the original company’s URL but have a misspelling or an excessively long chain of numbers and letters at the end.

How Can You Protect Yourself?

Before you click a link or enter any information, ensure the email is legitimate by looking for the signs mentioned above. Also, hover over hyperlinks to see the real URL and double-check the spelling. If the email says that there’s a problem with your account, visit the website by manually typing it into the address bar instead of clicking on any links.

Change your passwords regularly, install antivirus software, and use spam filters for your email account. Scammers may use phishing to install malware or viruses. If this happens, you should take your device to a computer repair expert to remove the malicious software.

If you need computer repair after a phishing attack, contact RadioActive in Kalispell, MT. They also offer solutions for other problems with laptops, desktops, phones, and tablets. Their staff is incredibly knowledgeable and can give you additional tips on how to detect future phishing attempts. To learn more, call 406-257-5999 or visit their website.