Fraud Awareness
What is Phishing? A Simple Guide
Phones and computers have become our lifelines in today’s digital world. Whether it is banking or online shopping, everything is just a click away. Unfortunately, this increased reliance on these gadgets has opened up doors for scammers to get creative. These days, they are leveraging our convenience to con us using techniques such as phishing.
Communication such as:
- “We have noticed suspicious activity on your account, and it will be frozen.”
- “Your bank account will be frozen. Click her to update your banking details.”
- “You have won a prize in our lucky draw! Enter your bank account details to claim the reward.”
Beware because these are all tactics commonly employed in phishing. If you are wondering what a phishing attack means, read on.
What is Phishing?
If you're not sure about phishing meaning, consider it a digital scam in which scammers deceive you into divulging bank account information, passwords, or other private information. To simply define phishing, fraudsters pretend to be someone you trust such as your bank, telecom provider, government officials, shopping websites etc.
And why do they do this? To gain access to your personal and sensitive information such as banking details, passwords, account PINs, OTPs, etc. Once they have their hands on this information, they use it to steal from you – your money, data, and identity. Usually, scammers sound very convincing and use a threatening or urgent tone. They request sensitive information that no genuine company will ever ask for.
Phishing can occur through emails, phone calls, and messages:
- Fake emails that trick you into clicking on suspicious links.
- Text messages pretending to be from banks, delivery companies, etc.
- Phone calls from scamsters impersonating customer care agents or representatives.
How to stay safe: Dos and don’ts
| What to do | What not to do |
|---|---|
| Enable multi-factor authentication for your online accounts and use strong passwords. | Never share your personal or sensitive information such as PINs, passwords, or OTPs with anyone. |
| If you need to make any online purchases, only use official websites and apps. | Never open any emails or links from numbers you don’t recognise. |
| Check for grammatical errors and typos. | Report any suspicious calls, emails, or messages to your telecom provider. |
If you think you or someone you know has fallen prey to phishing, do this:
- Immediately inform your bank to secure your accounts and freeze cards if needed.
- Change the passwords of all the affected accounts.
- Report the incident by calling the cyber helpline at 1930 or www.cybercrime.gov.in.
Anyone can fall prey to phishing. However, be alert, vigilant, and cautious to ensure you and your money both stay safe.
Disclaimer: This article is for information purpose only. The views expressed in this article are personal and do not necessarily constitute the views of Axis Bank Ltd. and its employees. Axis Bank Ltd. and/or the author shall not be responsible for any direct / indirect loss or liability incurred by the reader for taking any financial decisions based on the contents and information. Please consult your financial advisor before making any financial decision.
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