Basic Tricks to Know if an SMS or Email is Fake

It is very common for us to come across SMS and email scams. Hackers use many techniques to attack their victims, but undoubtedly one of the most used lately has to do with Phishing attacks through these means. This means that we must take into account certain tips to know how to identify false messages that can compromise security.

Tricks to recognize fake SMS and emails

We can say that both SMS and email are widely used in Phishing attacks . Hackers use these methods to steal passwords, infect users with malware, or otherwise compromise the proper functioning of systems.

Know if an SMS or Email is Fake

All this means that we must take into account certain tricks or ways to recognize if an SMS we receive is a fraud. In recent times this has increased and users receive messages posing as a transport company, for example.

Analyze the link

Something fundamental that we can take into account is to analyze the link that we have received. We can see, for example, if it is an HTTP link . This could mean that the web is not encrypted and most likely it is a scam and simply seeks to steal our data.

We can also see the domain and URL in general. Is something weird coming up? The normal thing is that when using this type of strategies to carry out attacks they use strange addresses, with a domain that does not correspond to a legitimate website.

Know if an SMS or Email is Fake

See if it is generic and not in our name

Another point that we can take into account is to see if it is a generic message , which is sent equally to many users at the same time, or on the contrary is addressed to our name, something that would give more security.

Of course, it should be noted that even if that SMS or email is addressed to us, with our name, it could be a threat. However, if we see that it is generic, there may be a higher probability that it is indeed a scam.

The text is weird

Of course, the text that we receive can also serve as a guide to see if it is something safe or it could be an attempted scam. The way to write, if it is a bad translation, how an email is organized … All this can help us to recognize if it really is legit or could be a hoax.

We do not recognize that service

On the other hand, the fact of recognizing or not that service can help us. In recent times the sending of SMS related to online orders has grown a lot. The Covid-19 pandemic has brought important changes. One of them is the increase in Internet shopping.

Now, if we receive a message indicating that our order with a specific store has had a problem and we do not recognize it, it could confirm that we are facing an attempted Phishing attack or similar and we should avoid clicking on those links. .