Individuals have something that hackers and scammers want—personal information, home banking, Netflix detail, etc.—and try to come up with different ways to attain it. With the enhanced community quarantine underway, it’s the same MO but a slightly different method.
The finesse these hackers and scammers have when it comes to preying on individuals has improved over the years. Compared to when such attempts first began, the schemes now are far more refined. The grammar is better, the tone is convincingly professional, and the fake websites almost look like the real thing. It makes falling for these attempts very easy—unless the individual has the appropriate knowledge to fight with.
Scams aren’t copy-pasted across scammers, but they do follow similar patterns. The following are the most commonly used patterns:
As seen through all the patterns, the scammers will always ask for information which banks will never do. Remember to be wary if an official and professional looking bank email or notification requires inputting personal information. That is likely a scam.
This article is part of the Banker’s Association of the Philippines’ (BAP) #CyberSafe campaign, where the BAP aims to promote awareness in cybersecurity. The campaign will upload new posts tackling common web security questions and issues, on Wednesdays and Sundays every week.
For more content on cybersecurity, visit the BAP Official YouTube channel.