Phishing Scams

Clients have been coming to me with phishing scam scares recently. If you click on something you shouldn’t have, what do you do?

Avoiding Phishing Scams

If you ever happen to click on a link, accidentally or knowingly, do not enter in any details on the webpage! Disconnect from the internet immediately to isolate your device from the hacker. If you are on a wired connection, unplug. If you are on a Wi-Fi connection, disconnect from the Wi-fi in settings.

A next important step is to scan your system for malware, but if you don’t have one already downloaded be sure not to connect back to the internet. Download a malware scanning tool to a thumb drive using a separate, secure device and install it on the quarantined machine via the thumb drive. If you don’t feel confident with this step, you can take your device to a professional for malware scanning support.

Keeping Your Information Secure

Some next steps after this happens is to let your advisor know as soon as possible so we can lock down the accounts. That way, nothing goes through without verbal permission. Next, you’ll want to contact one of the major credit bureaus and ask for a free fraud alert to be placed on your credit report (TransUnion, Equifax, Experian, and Innovis). It is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your private information.

Once you place a fraud alert with one of the bureaus listed above, they are required by law to notify the other two on your behalf. This will make it more difficult for hackers and scammers to open new accounts in your name.

Lastly, it’s best practice to change your credentials/passwords and call any credit card companies or bank accounts to let them know what happened.

Resources: Social Security recommendation

Sources:

1. https://www.sangfroidwebdesign.com/resources/what-to-do-clicked-phishing-link/
2. https://www.agingcare.com/articles/5-steps-to-take-after-clicking-on-a-phishing-link-178044.htm