Phishing, smishing, and vishing: understanding and protecting yourself from modern fraud

In the digital age, fraudsters have become increasingly sophisticated, leveraging techniques like phishing, smishing, and vishing to steal personal information. Learn how to protect yourself from these modern threats.

What are phishing, smishing, and vishing?

In today’s world, where everyone uses the internet and mobile devices, fraudsters have developed scams targeting these technologies. Most people have heard of phishing, but do you know what vishing is? Or smishing? Understanding these terms is crucial in protecting yourself from modern fraud.

Phishing involves receiving an email that appears to be from a legitimate source, such as a company or financial institution. Smishing is similar but uses text messages instead of emails. Vishing involves making scammers voice calls who pretend to be from reputable organisations to extract personal information.

How phishing works and ways to protect yourself

Phishing scams often involve receiving an email that appears to be from a trusted entity like SENDS. The email might offer a discount and ask you to click a link to claim the offer. However, before clicking, always check the URL - phishing links usually contain random, suspicious characters instead of the official address.

To stay safe from phishing scams, never click on unverified links and always check the sender’s email address. If you weren’t expecting such an email, be extra cautious. Phishing scams often encourage you to share your card details or other personal data. To learn more about protecting yourself from fraud, read our article on fraud prevention: How to protect yourself from fraud.

Understanding smishing: the dangers of SMS phishing

Smishing works just like phishing but through text messages instead of emails. You might receive a message that appears to be from a bank, an online service, or even a friend, urging you to click on a link or provide personal information.

Never click on links in unsolicited text messages to protect yourself from scams. Instead, verify the sender by contacting the company or person using a known phone number or email address. Also, be cautious of messages that create a sense of urgency or ask for personal information.

Vishing: the rising threat of voice phishing

Vishing involves scammers calling you while pretending to be your bank or insurance company and attempting to extract personal information. Their goal could be to take out loans in your name, create deepfake audio or video, or withdraw money from your account.

Never disclose your details over the phone unless you initiated the call and are certain of the recipient’s identity. Research practical tips on how to recognise vishing attempts and stay vigilant. The best advice? Slow down and verify. Just one minute of caution could save you an entire month’s salary.

Best practices for staying safe from fraud

In our fast-paced world, opening an account or getting a loan now takes just a few minutes. Fraudsters take advantage of this urgency. The best advice? Slow down and verify. Just one minute of caution could save you an entire month’s salary.

To protect yourself from fraudsters, spread the word about these scams to your grandparents, relatives, and children. Report fraud attempts to cyber police and organisations that collect scam phone numbers and email addresses. This helps stop scammers before they compromise another account.