Have you ever received a message from your “bank” asking you to confirm your account? That might have been a scammer hoping to access your data.

Phishing is a digital trick that exploits people’s trust to steal valuable information. Besides being dangerous, it’s a common ruse that can appear in your email inbox, on your phone, or on social media.

That’s why we want you to read this article closely. Here, you’ll discover what phishing is, how to spot it, and how to steer clear of it.

Read on and learn to stay one step ahead!

Phishing Explained: What It Is and How to Stay Safe

Phishing: What It Is and How It Works

Phishing is simply a form of online fraud crafted to fool you into giving up personal or sensitive account information.

How does phishing work?

Usually, the perpetrators pose as trusted, well-known companies to gain your confidence. It might be a legitimate institution like a bank, a social network, or a government entity.

The idea is to persuade you to share important data through the chosen channel—often email, text messages, or a form they lure you into.

This kind of attack uses manipulation strategies and can be highly convincing and persuasive.

Consequences of phishing can include:

• Theft of money or identity

• Unauthorized charges on credit cards

• Malicious software installation

• Loss of access to files or documents

• Exposure of personal information, among others

Unfortunately, many people who fall for it and share their passwords or sensitive data experience these phishing outcomes.

Who Can Be a Victim of Phishing?

In reality, any individual or company that uses an internet-connected device can be a phishing target. Cybercriminals are quite creative in scamming different user profiles.

Attacks can be widespread—aimed at many people at once—or highly specific for a particular target. It all depends on what the scammer finds online about someone. Hence, nobody is fully exempt from being a potential target.

No matter your age, occupation, or tech know-how, fraudsters adapt their tactics. So, both a typical user and an employee at a big company can get tricked by these kinds of scams.

Types of Phishing Scams

As mentioned, phishing can come through various channels and in diverse forms, such as:

Email Phishing

This involves emails made to look authentic, sent from what appear to be reliable institutions. They usually have links directing you to fake websites or attachments containing malware.

These emails aim to trick you into making bank transfers or sharing sensitive info (passwords, financial data, etc.).

Text Message Phishing (Smishing)

Attackers use SMS or MMS messages, often containing urgent requests for confidential information. These messages typically include a link or phone number, claiming to be a trusted organization.

How to avoid phishing on your phone?

• Don’t open links from text messages if you’re not sure of their source.

• Don’t log into online banking when connected to public Wi-Fi networks.

• Also, be careful not to install apps from unknown sources or grant needless permissions that could compromise security.

Voice Phishing (Vishing)

This version is more persuasive, where scammers claim to be seasoned operators from a business or institution. Sometimes they redirect the call from an automated system and use spoofed numbers to hide their identity but still sound convincing when asking for data.

Social Media Phishing

These scammers send direct messages or make fraudulent posts to grab your sensitive info. Most pretend to be official brands, while others pose as friends.

How to avoid phishing on social media?

• Adjust your profile’s privacy settings to limit how visible your personal data is. This won’t stop direct messages from reaching you, but you can simply ignore them.

• Also check that official brand or company pages have the relevant verification.

DNS-Based Pharming

Attackers alter your browser or network settings to redirect you to fake websites, even if you’ve typed the correct address for the legitimate site.

This is a more sophisticated type of cyberattack, making it tougher to spot. However, certain signs can help detect them.

Other phishing scam types include:

• Spear phishing: Personalized attacks aimed at specific individuals.

• Clone phishing: Replicating real messages but modifying links or attachments.

• Typosquatting: Using similar-looking URLs to trick users.

Those are the most frequent, but variations exist depending on context and the scammer’s goals.

5 Examples of Phishing Scams

Below are five examples of phishing to show how attackers might try to scam you:

1. A Friend in Trouble

You get a message claiming to be from a friend or acquaintance saying they urgently need money, often explaining they’re abroad and asking you to send funds to a bank account.

2. Unexpected Prizes or Inheritances

An email says you’ve won a prize or inherited something from an unknown relative. Analyze the situation, especially if you’re asked to complete a form with personal info or follow a link to get your reward. Some add a “shipping fee” to claim the prize.

3. Tax Refund

Scammers send emails or messages pretending to be from the tax authority, saying you qualify for a refund or need to confirm your info to avoid penalties. But you must apply or fill out a form on a fake link, where they harvest personal info.

4. Fake Office 365 Account Notices

They claim some of your important files in your Microsoft account have been deleted and ask you to sign in to fix the issue via a link. Naturally, the linked page is designed to steal your credentials.

5. Phony Bank Emails

Similar to the above, you receive “bank” notices about a problem with your account. Sometimes the message says it’s a data update process.

What to do in case of bank phishing?

If you spot any suspicious or unknown transaction, call your bank’s customer service right away to report it—like an unauthorized wire transfer or debit/credit card usage.

Sometimes you can cancel a bank transfer unauthorized if you act quickly, and it’s wise to block the account to prevent recurrence.

Also consider reporting the fraud to Condusef.

How to Avoid Phishing: 5 Steps to Protect Yourself

While anyone or any company can fall victim to these scams, you can reduce the risk. Here are some steps and tips to avoid phishing:

1. Be wary of suspicious emails and messages. Always verify senders’ authenticity, and stay alert to urgent or too-good-to-be-true requests.

2. Don’t share confidential info. Don’t fill out forms or provide personal/financial data via links without checking first where they come from.

3. Steer clear of unknown links. Type web addresses directly in your browser rather than blindly following links.

4. Keep your devices secure. Update your OS regularly, and use antivirus software to protect against threats.

5. Enable additional security measures. If your computer or mobile device supports two-factor authentication, turn it on to safeguard your accounts.

Ultimately, ensure you use only safe platforms to move money between accounts, especially if you need to receive or send funds to the U.S.

In this context, we invite you to try DolarApp to protect your money from possible online risks. This app is ideal for receiving international payments in digital dollars, providing you with U.S. bank account details.

Of course, those transactions rely on measures that guarantee encrypted bank transfers. Moreover, we consistently offer a competitive exchange rate whenever you want to convert your money from one currency to another.