Hacking scams: How to protect yourself

Hacking scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated and difficult to detect. Scammers are constantly coming up with new ways to steal people’s personal information and money. Some of the latest hacking scams include SIM swapping, call forwarding, and fake government websites.

SIM swapping

In a SIM swapping scam, the scammer tricks your mobile carrier into transferring your phone number to a new SIM card that they control. Once they have control of your phone number, they can use it to intercept your calls and text messages, including two-factor authentication (2FA) codes. This can give them access to your bank accounts, social media accounts, and other online accounts.

Call forwarding

In a call forwarding scam, the scammer tricks you into forwarding your calls to a number that they control. Once your calls are being forwarded, they can listen in on your conversations and intercept any important calls that you receive, such as calls from your bank or credit card company.

Fake government websites

Scammers are also creating fake government websites that look like the real thing. These websites are often used to trick people into entering their personal information, such as their Social Security number or bank account number.

How to protect yourself from hacking scams

Here are some tips to help you protect yourself from hacking scams:

• Be wary of unsolicited phone calls and text messages. If you receive a call or text message from someone you don’t know, don’t give out any personal information.
• Be careful about clicking on links in emails and text messages. If you’re not sure if a link is safe, hover over it with your mouse to see the actual URL. If the URL doesn’t match the website that the link is supposed to go to, don’t click on it.
• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on all of your online accounts. 2FA adds an extra layer of security to your accounts by requiring you to enter a code from your phone in addition to your password.
• Keep your software up to date. Software updates often include security patches that can help protect your devices from malware and other threats.
• Use a strong password manager to create and store unique passwords for all of your online accounts.

Additional tips

• Be careful about what information you share on social media. Scammers can use your personal information to target you with scams.
• Be wary of any investment opportunities that seem too good to be true. Scammers often use promises of high returns to lure people into investing in fraudulent schemes.
• If you think you may have been the victim of a hacking scam, report it to your bank, credit card company, and the authorities immediately.

Latest hacking scam: ChatGPT scam

A new hacking scam is emerging that is using the popular artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT to trick people into revealing their personal information. In this scam, the scammer sends a message to the victim claiming to be from ChatGPT. The message tells the victim that they have won a prize and need to provide their personal information in order to claim it.

If you receive a message like this, do not click on any links or provide any personal information. ChatGPT is not giving away prizes, and this is a scam.

How to protect yourself from the ChatGPT scam

• Be wary of unsolicited messages from ChatGPT or any other AI chatbot.
• Do not click on any links in messages from ChatGPT or any other AI chatbot.
• Do not provide any personal information to ChatGPT or any other AI chatbot.
• If you receive a message from ChatGPT or any other AI chatbot that seems suspicious, report it to ChatGPT or the other AI chatbot’s support team.

By following these tips, you can help protect yourself from hacking scams and keep your personal information safe.

Here are some examples of what scammers might say or do to manipulate you:

• Create a sense of urgency. Scammers might tell you that you need to act immediately or you will miss out on a great opportunity or face serious consequences.
• Use social engineering. Scammers might try to gain your trust by pretending to be someone you know, such as a friend, family member, or government official. They might also try to appeal to your emotions, such as fear or pity.
• Use pressure tactics. Scammers might try to pressure you into making a decision quickly, without giving you time to think about it. They might also try to make you feel guilty or ashamed if you don’t comply with their requests.

Some specific examples of what scammers might say or do:

• “You’ve won a prize! But you need to pay a shipping fee to claim it.” This is a common scam where the scammer promises you a prize, but then asks you to pay a fee to claim it. Once you pay the fee, the scammer will disappear with your money.
• “Your computer has been infected with a virus. We can fix it for you, but you need to give us your credit card number.” This is another common scam where the scammer tries to trick you into giving them your credit card number. They might tell you that your computer has been infected with a virus and that they need your credit card number to pay for the virus removal service. However, they will simply take your credit card number and use it to make fraudulent charges.
• “I’m from the IRS and you owe back taxes. If you don’t pay now, you will be arrested.” This is a scam where the scammer impersonates an IRS agent and threatens to arrest you if you don’t pay back taxes. The IRS will never call you and threaten you with arrest. If you receive a call like this, hang up immediately.
• “Your Social Security number has been compromised. You need to give us your personal information so we can verify your identity.” This is a scam where the scammer tries to trick you into giving them your personal information, such as your Social Security number and bank account number. They might tell you that your Social Security number has been compromised and that they need to verify your identity to protect you from fraud. However, they will simply use your personal information to commit fraud themselves.

It is important to be aware of these scams and to be wary of any unsolicited phone calls, emails, or text messages that you receive. If you are unsure whether something is a scam, it is always best to err on the side of caution and do not give out any personal information.

Here are some additional tips to help you protect yourself from scams:

• Do not click on links in emails or text messages from unknown senders.
• Do not open attachments in emails from unknown senders.
• Be careful about what information you share on social media.
• Keep your software up to date.
• Use a strong password manager to create and store unique passwords for all of your online accounts.

If you think you may have been the victim of a scam, report it to the authorities immediately.