Recognizing spam, phishing, and fake URLs are important to avoid blind clicking and hurting your technology. Take these steps to get in the habit of recognizing what’s fake, and what’s safe to click on when surfing the web.
Flashing, Low Quality Images
Flashing photos that look emphasized or unrealistic is usually a good sign for spam. A good advertisement will be well made.
Phishing
Phishing is when hackers send emails asking for sensitive information like log in info, passwords, etc. to better recognize when accounts are legit, you can look at the way in which the email was sent. Usually false statements or emails will try to create a sense of urgency along the lines of: “respond immediately or your account will be terminated.” Make sure the name of the sender matches the name of the organization.
Emails and Notifications/pop ups will not say “Dear Valued Customer” if they are real. Your name is a way in which you can tell whether the email is fake, or if it’s really your bank addressing you.
Clicking on Links
Before you direct your page to a link that looks illegitimate, hover over the link to get a preview first. This will tell you whether they match. If they don’t, that’s a direct sign the link is incorrect or fake. Fake websites, links, and ads won’t have misspellings or grammatical errors. This is also another huge sign that the message or site is fake.
M&H Consulting, LLC offers professional IT consulting & support for small and medium size businesses in the Boston and surrounding New England areas. We are based in Natick, Massachusetts, and offer full-service technical support and development focused on all the technical needs of the small business. Contact M&H Consulting for questions about your technology at (866) 964-8324.
Categorised in: antimalware, antispyware, antivirus, Computer Support, data management, email, hacking, IT Consulting Services, pop ups, Security, spam