Are you familiar with the names Phishing, Smishing, and Vishing? These are IT or Information Technology terms used to denote online scams. Here is a brief run-down on their use and how you can protect yourself.
Phishing is a tech term for fishing for information with a fake email address. You can protect yourself by always looking first at the header of the email. If the header doesn’t match the exact email address of your bank or other agency, it is not legitimate. If you do find yourself reading such an email, don’t click on any link. And also, remember that your bank or other agency would not contact you by phone asking you to confirm your personal information.
Smishing is a scam text maybe saying you’ve won something and asking you to verify who you are by answering personal questions. You didn’t enter such and such contest and now you are getting a text saying you won? No. It is fake. Delete the text. Or you get a text pretending to be an agency such as Social Security. Fake again. Social Security will contact you through the U.S. mail. Call your local Social Security branch if you have questions you need answered. Or go to your local branch in person.
Vishing is a scam using voice calls and voicemails. If you have caller identification, just don’t answer calls from numbers you don’t recognize. If you do pick up the phone, don’t say hello. Saying hello indicates to the caller that the phone number dialed is real and the person on the other end of the line will start their spiel trying to get information from you.
Sometimes Vishing is used to frighten you into acting immediately out of fear for someone’s safety. Swindlers’ technology has become so sophisticated that they are now able to replicate the voice of someone near and dear to you. Perhaps a grown child or grandchild. Don’t agree to send money to her or him to get them out of a fake emergency. Hang up and try to contact your grandchild or other person the way you normally do.
Deceit is also used to set up a fake romantic interest. The fraudulent suitor builds up your trust for a person who doesn’t even exist except in your smitten heart! Over time your online lover beguiles you into helping with this imaginary person’s financial obligations. By the time you figure out your prince or princess is not real, your real money or other assets are long gone.
Phishing, Smishing, and Vishing: all are trickery used to defraud individuals. They are attempts to get someone—namely you—to give up personal information which is then used to rob you of money, other assets, and peace of mind.
So, beware! Stay safe from scammers by not playing into their games of ‘Gotcha!’
Short Essay on Scams and How to Protect Yourself
Connie Carlisle Polley, 2023
ConnieCarlislePolley.com
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