Social engineering is this generation’s con artist. Hackers will create a sense of urgency or perhaps someone will offer you something that seems too good to be true in order to gain access to your devices, data or accounts.
Here are some examples:
- “Can you submit a payment request in the next hour to so-and-so? It has to be done immediately.”
- “Download this document, fill it out and receive $100.”
- “Please call this number and provide them your account to verify your bank account has not recently been compromised.”
- “This is your boss. I’m using a friend’s email. Do you have my password written down anywhere? I’m locked out and can’t remember what it is.”
If something seems suspicious, consider the old saying, “When in doubt, throw it out.” If something is important enough, a trusted contact will eventually contact you directly to get the issue addressed.
Check out Securing the Human’s recent newsletter for more information on social engineering.
