THERE are three types of texts that signal serious cyber-danger.
That’s according to a leading cyber-expert who is warning iPhone and Android owners to look out for the warning signs.
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Text scams are extremely common, and can cause chaos on your device.
Your device could be hacked, your money stolen, and your personal info taken to be sold on or used to defraud you.
The U.S. Sun spoke to Kristina Balaam, Senior Threat Researcher for Threat Intelligence at Lookout, who revealed three types of texts that you need to look out for.
If you receive one in your messaging app, it’s best to avoid interacting with it and hit delete.
Text warning sign #1
The first type of text you’ll want to watch out for is one that tries to rush you into action.
Often you’ll receive a message with a deadline urgent you to act.
“Be cautious of any kind of text that you get that has a sense of urgency,” Kristina said.
“This is especially true when you receive a random message from your supposed CEO that says, ‘Hey [insert your name], I need financial information by 3pm today’ – and it’s 1:30.”
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The messages are designed this way to trick you into acting without thinking it through.
If you receive a message like this, take the time to think about it critically.
Text warning sign #2
The second type of text you should look out for is one that contains a suspicious link from a sender.
This is a very dangerous scenario that could leave you seriously exposed to a cyberattack.
“It’s always best to double check that the text is from a reputable source,” Kristina warned.
“For example, a text that has a hyperlink in it and says, ‘You have a delivery coming today,’ or, ‘You need to update your financial information and click on this link to login.’
“In most cases that will be some kind of phishing attempt that will either take you to a page to input sensitive information such as your banking information.
“Or in some cases, like we saw with the banking trojan FluBot, it can download a malicious application to your device.”
If you need to navigate to a website, go to the brand’s official organization page – and don’t use a link in a text.
Text warning sign #3
The third type of text to watch out for is one that asks for sensitive information.
An official organization wouldn’t ask for this kind of info over text.
It could be a trick to get your personal info to sell on, defraud you with, or to break into your accounts.
So a simple mistake could end up proving extremely costly for you.
“Be suspicious about any text message asking for sensitive information – regardless of whether the person is pretending to be from your workplace, or in some position of authority,” Kristina advised.
“Legitimate businesses don’t do that, so if this happens, reach out to a legitimate source.
“Such as calling your bank directly – or a shipping company’s customer service number – to confirm the authenticity.
“If a text looks to be from someone within the company you work for, but you’ve never been in touch with them via text before, reach out to them directly through another medium and ask, ‘Hey, was this you?'”
