What is a Phishing Scam?
- When someone impersonates a trusted person or organisation to deceive someone into revealing passwords, OTPs, or any significant personal details.
- Usually, this happens via contacting the target while acting to be someone else, creating an urgent situation around them, and getting them to abide by what the scammer says.
How to Identify these Scams?
- Do not share your OTP, password, or PIN without verifying the authenticity of their digital presence.
- Check where the contact is originating from.
- Verify the authenticity of the link shared before clicking it.
- Better is to manually enter the link asked for rather than clicking on it.
- Do not install apps or any external tool asked for.
- Enable two factor authentication on all important accounts, using an authenticator app rather than SMS when possible.
- Keep your security tools updated.
- Phone numbers can be spoofed, so do not trust them solely.
What to Do If a Phishing Scam Is Happening Right Now?
- Act calmly and as soon as possible.
- Call 1930, i.e., the national cybercrime helpline.
- File on Cyber Crime Portal at cybercrime.gov.in.
- Change your concerned passwords and security check-ins immediately.
- Report at report.phishing@cert-in.org.in or forward the deceptive messages at 1909.
- File an FIR either at a police station or at a cybercrime cell.