Cyber scams are the order of the day, and behind every click, link or web page we must be aware that a malicious virus could be hidden designed to steal both our personal and banking data.
This is a reality that we have to live with, and therefore, being alert and knowing the details to detect deception before it is too late is crucial to protect ourselves and those around us.
For that reason, since The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has sent an alert message with the keys to detect fraudulent emailsspecifically for those emails that reach us as supposed charity campaigns.
Unfortunately, today there are numerous natural disasters, wars and social problems that put thousands of people in need. Cybercriminals usually do not have many scruples and take advantage of these disasters to also make a profit, and as they point out, in 2024, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received more than 4,500 complaints who reported approximately 96 million dollars in losses due to Fraudulent charities.
The key to avoid falling into this type of scam: two words
In the statement issued by the FBI, the agency explains a series of signs that should put us on alert, pointing out above all that when in an email that is supposedly to make donations or aid, When the words “Act Fast” appear, we should doubt their legitimacy, because it is very likely a scam.
This is because The sense of urgency is one of the characteristics of deceptionsince they urge the user to act quickly and without thinking, something that we should never do when sending money or giving personal information.
Other keys to detect phishing scams
- Be wary of messages that claim to be people affected by the events and request help.
- Review the email headers and domain information.
- Do not use debit, gift or prepaid cards to pay.
- If you have already donated funds and believe you are a victim of a scam, do not pay additional fees or taxes to get your money back. Do not pay for any service that claims it can recover lost funds.
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