How to Detect and Protect Yourself From Phishing Attacks | Antivirus Software

Phishing is a type of online fraud when attackers try to obtain confidential information of users, for example, login, password, bank card details. 

To lure into a fake site, scammers use social networks, SMS, or email. Social networks can write to you from an unknown account or from a hacked profile of a friend with a request to follow the link. As a rule, they ask to quickly click on the link to find out something unusual or valuable.  

Attackers lure the victim with a mention in a community post. For example, scammers fake a group of a well-known radio station and report in a publication on behalf of the group that you have won a valuable prize and should go to the site right now for further instructions.  

By the way, if you are offered to pay for shipping or insurance for a win or a gift, then this is also a sign of fraud. 

If you have ever posted or place an ad on popular Internet sites such as Avito, attackers can include your number in an SMS mailing. In this case, you will receive an SMS with an exchange offer and a link to the page of the alleged product. The link will lead to a phishing site, and possibly to a page infected with a virus. 

As is the case with social networks, scammers can pretend to be acquaintances and offer to follow the link to see information allegedly about you. 

 Email 

Scammers have a variety of ways to lure users to a phishing site using email. After all, letters support HTML layout and the address of a phishing site can be disguised as a domain familiar to users.  

Letters are counterfeit messages about allegedly hacked mail, bank account, pages on social networks; notifications from authorities, charities, and courts; information about a possible VAT refund for foreign purchases and the need to pay taxes or fines. All emails will contain links to go to the phishing site.  

The link can also be made in the form of a QR code. For example, you will be offered a useful program for tax refunds or fines reduction. 

How to counter phishing? 

Observe the basic rules of "Internet hygiene": · do not follow links from strangers; · Do not follow short links like bit.ly or goo.gl, even if they come from friends; · In payment and postal systems, bank offices, set up a multi-factor authorization system; · Save to favorites the addresses of sites that you often use for payments; · Install antivirus software on your computer; · Use the Safe Money tool from  Internet Security; · Use browsers Chrome, Safari, Firefox, which already have anti-phishing protection. 

If you received a link to the form bit.ly/FHjk77, then it can be decrypted using the UnTinyURL service. Just copy the link into the box on the page and click the Reveal button. 

What if you come across a phishing site? 

Let's assume that you did land on a phishing site, but managed to recognize it in time. Then you can help companies and search engines block the resource.  

Contact the administrators of the original site  

Contact Payment Provider Support Services Small and medium-sized Internet businesses rely on the services of payment providers - companies that organize online payments. 

If you suspect that the form of payment is fake, you can confirm its originality through the support service of the payment provider, the name of which is indicated in the payment form of the site. 

Tell the search engine Google and Yandex already have special forms through which you can report phishing resources. 

Take a minute and you will help protect other users from scammers. 

Inform Hosting The Whois information that we can get from RU-Center or 2IP.ru also indicates the hosting of the domain. 

You can write a letter to host administrators mentioning a phishing site to block it.