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Protect Yourself from Phishing

Knowledge Center / Blog

Protect Yourself from Phishing

By The Employer Group - Aug 19, 2020

Scammers use email or text messages to trick you into giving your personal information, such as your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security number. If they get that information, they could gain access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful. The Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Protection division (FTC) offers great insight into protecting yourself.

Phishing emails and text messages may look like they’re from a company you know or trust. They may look like they’re from a bank, a credit card company, an online payment website or app, or an online store.

Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. They may:

• say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts
• claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information
• say you must confirm some personal information
• want you to click on a link to make a payment
• say you’re eligible to register for a government refund

How to Protect Yourself from Phishing Attacks

Your email spam filters may keep many phishing emails out of your inbox. But scammers are always trying to outsmart spam filters, so it’s a good idea to add extra layers of protection.

Protect your computer by using security software. Set the software to update automatically.

  1. Protect your mobile phone by setting software to update automatically.
  2. Back up your data in a place that is not connected to your home network.
  3. Read emails carefully. For example, if you were to get a generic email from your bank asking for personal information, call them before sending information. It’s extremely unlikely your bank would ask for that information in an email.
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