Social Engineering Scams – What They Are and How to Avoid Them

When it comes to questionable e-mails, most of us typically avoid the ones that are from a prince in a far-off country or ones where we have recently been awarded a large inheritance. However, these days, cyber scammers have gotten a lot smarter and prey on something we have little control over, human nature. At T3 Platforms, we keep our eyes out for any kind of threat to our client’s system as well as informing them on how to be the first line of defense. Let’s have a look at how these social engineering scams can be tricky to spot.

Social Engineering Scams: What They Are

Thinking about social engineering scams can conjure up a lot of images, and they should. Social engineering scams come in a variety of ways. Some of those include:

• E-mail Scams
• CEO/Manager Fraud
• Sweepstakes
• Baiting
• Phishing
• Social Media Scams

Social Engineering Scams: How to Steer Clear

Unfortunately, the best way for scammers to infiltrate our systems is through us. The way social engineering scams work is that they prey on our human nature. For instance, in the case of a CEO/Manager scam, typically this comes through via e-mail. Most of us feel fortunate to be spoken to by upper management and want to be a team player so we go along with it.

To combat this, never click on a link in an e-mail, type in the web address. Also, ask a co-worker, manager, or CEO themselves if they sent this to you. Not only will it save your company time and money but also help others stay away from the trap.

Another example of social engineering scams is via social media. The different networks, like Facebook or Twitter, allow us to interact with people from across the globe. While this is generally a great thing, it is also a way for scammers to get in as well. In a social media setting, the scammer will insert themselves into a legitimate conversation and then steer people towards their legitimate looking site. For instance, a Twitter user needs help with logging into their online bank account. They took to Twitter for help and a scammer would then gleam their trust and tell the user to click on a certain link, provided by the scammer, to reset their password. The link could either just gather the information or could be a virus in of itself.

To avoid falling for this scam, consider not using social media to answer important or personal questions. Call the business you are needing help from to ensure you are speaking to a representative you can trust.

Social Engineering Scams: How T3 Can Help

We at T3 take social engineering scams seriously and keep not only our eyes out for what is out there but help our clients be vigilant too. When you choose to partner with T3, we are your IT department. This allows you to focus on your business while we keep your data and systems safe. Contact us today and let us show you not only how we can help but save you money in the process too.