New SMS arrived? Think before you click. Fraudsters are also getting ready for the holidays

Phishing, i.e. impersonating a well-known institution or company, is older than the Internet, but it is still effective. Fraudsters often return to proven methods, because thousands of people still fall for made-up stories and provide their sensitive data.

Did you receive an SMS from this number? Don’t click on the link

According to reports, Poles are receiving further messages in which fraudsters impersonate shipping companies. In the text messages, they inform about the alleged “lack of a street number on the parcel” and urge them to “update the information” by clicking on a link. In the case of both fraud attempts (sent from the numbers +48509916950 and +48506579161), the fraudsters do not even try to use the image and name of any well-known carrier, hoping that we will not pay attention to it due to our busy schedule.

In both cases, the link leads, of course, to the fraudsters’ fake website, where we are tricked into providing sensitive data – online banking login and password and credit card number. It is best not to click on it at all, and certainly not to provide your data anywhere.

Interestingly, a few days ago we saw a similar phishing campaign by criminals, but then they impersonated InPost. In the second half of November, we described the scam whose authors

Scammers are also preparing for the holidays. Better be careful

Unfortunately, it can be suspected that the next two weeks will be a real paradise for fraudsters. The great pre-Christmas shopping frenzy is beginning, and a large part of Poles will order parcels online. When we are waiting for several parcels at once, all it takes is a moment of inattention to be fooled and lose your data and money. Criminals are counting on this, so they can intensify their activities before the holidays (just like around Black Friday).

So how do you protect yourself? The first and most important rule of defense against phishing is common sense. It is not worth clicking on any messages in a hurry or hastily. It’s better to go back to the text message in your free time and read it carefully. We should always pay attention to the content of the message (whether it contains any errors), the appearance of the link contained in it and the possible lack of any information about the alleged package. Shipping companies are unlikely to hide their name or information about the shipment.

We should also not click on any links contained in messages about which we have any doubts. Let us also remember that possible surcharges for parcels, alleged information about an incorrect address, etc. are favorite stories of fraudsters. In case of doubt, it is better to confirm the information directly with the courier company.