Along with our families, the only support we have is our life savings, and it really hurts to see people getting scammed by criminals who are always on the hunt of stealing money and sensitive data.
Reports of getting scammed over a phone call or an SMS, are increasingly making their way up to the headlines. Scammers are using unique and surprisingly bizarre methods to trick you and unfortunately, most people fall into the pit either by sharing their account verification code or by allowing a scammer to have virtual access to their computer, which never ends well!
If it isn’t a voice call or an SMS, you might get a fake email that might trick you to click on a malicious link which may result in the loss of your sensitive data or even your entire life savings.
In order to keep yourself safe from such scammers, here is our detailed guide on how to stay safe from such scammers.
1. Do NOT Reply to any Suspicious SMS or Call
Many times, even scammers don’t know whether the recipient’s number is active or not. They use a custom-built device that generates thousands of texts and sends them to random contact numbers, asking you to reply (in one way or another). The most common and trickiest one is that a scam message includes a text saying “Reply STOP to stop receiving updates”.
Never ever reply to such texts. It will give them a green signal that the contact number is active and by replying, you’re actually allowing them to send you more texts.
So, the first thing you need to do is to block such numbers. If you’re using an older smartphone and can’t find an option of blocking a sender, you can simply mute them.
2. Double-Check if a Scammer is Spoofing a Company
Since nobody likes to answer a call from an unknown number, scammers have a unique method of using some renowned brand’s face value. It helps scammers to build trust among the customers which allows them to play on the safer side without getting suspicious.
So if you, being a victim, are asked to reply to a text or make a call to a given number by a sender that claims to be a certain company, take out some time to contact the customer support of the same company through the official means. You can ask them over a Live Chat (if they have any) or call them and ask about the matter.
Most of the time, it turns out to be a scam text or call, so it’s always recommended to double-check with the official company before providing any details to the scammer.
3. Do NOT Click on Any Links!
Whether it’s an email or a notification pop-up, there’s no need to click on it. These notification banners might manipulate your emotions and drive you to click on notifications that will download a virus on your phone or laptop.
These viruses are mostly keyloggers that send the data of your keyboard strike to remote cloud storage owned by a scammer. You won’t be able to suspect any of such applications installed on your device because it’s always hidden within the system files and there’s no way an ordinary user is going to suspect it.
What to do when you suspect a malicious app on your device?
The only way out is to factory reset your device, but most of the time, the virus still remains within the hard drives, and even when you install a fresh Operating System or factory reset your device, that malicious program automatically gets reinstalled. So, you need to consult a professional who knows how to permanently delete a suspicious program or virus from your device.
At Normal Gadgets repair shop, we deal in all sorts of laptops, desktops, tablets, iPods, smartphones, and gaming systems. Whether it’s a Samsung phone or Apple iPhone, we offer repair services for every mobile brand. Learn more about our wide range of repair services.
4. Keep Your Devices Up-to-Date
Receiving system updates might be frustrating for you, but believe it or not, you should always keep your devices up-to-date. These updates are mostly security patches that allow users to stay protected on the internet.
It’s better to download and install the latest updates for the system as well as applications to keep them secured.
5. Never Believe in Pop-ups!
Most phishing techniques start from a pop-up. These pop-ups are made to be super-tempting so users click on them and land on a page where they’ve set a trap for you. Never click on Allow if a website is asking to allow you to download multiple files or show desktop notifications to you (except if you’re sure that the website is completely safe to allow).
A website that starts with the protocol of “https” is usually considered safe but it’s not a rule of thumb.
6. Beware of Fake Tech Support
The online discussion forums are spammed with the discussion of getting scammed by fake tech support from a bank or Amazon. You might get a call from a guy with a very professional tone notifying you about your recent e-commerce purchase (either on Amazon or any other store) which you didn’t even place in the first place. That scammer will then proceed with more details and ask you to provide your PIN to cancel that e-commerce purchase.
It has happened with most of the users and they eventually end up losing all their credit from their accounts.
Never trust fake tech support!
7. Know This!
Any institute that deals with money will NEVER ask you to provide your PIN or any other secret information over a phone call or email. This is the reason why banks send periodic notifications about such scams and remind you not to share any of your personal information with anyone.
8. How to Report Spam SMS
The best way to deal with spam SMS is to report your wireless service provider. It’ll immediately block the spam SMS number. To do so, Copy the spam message you received and forward it to 7726. Another great way to report spam SMS is to report to the FTC.
Concluding Thoughts
Scams like smishing, phishing, fake tech support, and so many others, are increasingly spreading like a jungle fire. We need to take proactive measures to educate everyone about such scams, this is the reason why we felt a need to share some effective tips on how to NOT get scammed.
If you think that you accidentally clicked on such a suspicious link and your device is not responding like it used to or it’s getting overheated, it’s time to consult a professional repair center in your area.
About Normal Gadgets
Normal Gadgets was created in 2012 in order to provide the best solution to mobile devices that need repair. Normal Gadgets repairs all smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, smartwatches and laptops/PCs. No matter the issue such as cracked screens, batteries, viruses or OS updates, Normal Gadgets is the largest repair center in Central Illinois having repaired over 90,000 devices since our founding day. Learn more about the company and services at normalgadgets.com.
Contact
Terry Ballantini
