This Halloween, the real scares aren't just from haunted houses and ghost stories - they’re from phishing scams lurking in your inbox!
As Halloween creeps up in a couple of days, the internet can be even spookier than haunted houses—especially with sneaky cyber “ghouls” lurking around, ready to trick you into clicking on fake links or giving up personal info. Just like a Halloween trickster in a vampire cape, phishing scams are masters of disguise. But fear not! Here are some fangtastic tips to help you avoid getting “spooked” by phishing schemes.
🕸️ 1. Don’t Let a “Sweet Deal” Trick You – Phishers know we all love a good deal, and they often tempt you with offers that seem too good to be true. So if you receive an email with “treats” like exclusive discounts or urgent prize claims, double-check the sender before clicking – don’t let them play tricks on you!
🎃 2. Hover for a Peek – Before You Click – Hover your cursor over any link in an email or message to preview the URL. If it doesn’t look legit or has extra “fangs” (like weird characters or spelling mistakes), don’t click! These sneaky links are like a haunted maze – they look normal until you’re trapped.
🧙 3. Use Your Witchy Intuition with Suspicious Senders – If you get a message from an unfamiliar sender or a colleague acting out of character, that’s your cauldron-bubbling clue that something’s off. Call or message the sender directly to check; it’s better to be safe than bewitchingly scammed.
👻 4. Beware of Spooky Attachments – Attachments can be tricks disguised as treats, hiding malware that could haunt your device. If you’re not expecting a file, or if it’s from an unknown source, don’t download it. Otherwise, it might turn your computer into a zombie – infected and slow.
🍬 5. Guard Your Sweets—Don’t Share Personal Info – A good ghoul never reveals their tricks, and neither should you! Phishing scams will often ask for personal info like passwords or credit card numbers. No real business would ask for these details through email, so keep your “sweets” safe and secure.
💀 6. Double, Double, Check Your Bank Statements Trouble – Phishers sometimes slip by unnoticed, even for the most vigilant. Keep an eye on your bank and credit card statements for strange charges that might sneak up like a ghost in the night.
🧛 7. Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) as Your Garlic Necklace – Adding an extra layer of protection to your accounts is like wearing garlic against vampires. Even if a phisher gets your login details, MFA stops them dead in their tracks by asking for a second form of verification.
🕯️8. Adopt D2Aware to help you see in the dark – Our D2Aware service has been designed to help you run simulated phishing attacks and training in your organisation. Make sure your organisation isn’t hiding under the bed and ready for any phishing attacks that may come your way this spooky season.