Email, Text or Social Media Messages Requesting Personal, Financial or Account Information
NEVER respond to an email, SMS Text, or social media message, or click on a link in the same that requests personal information, or confidential information such as PINs, passwords and banking details. Your bank, financial institution or other legitimate companies will NEVER ask you to send the same information via email, text or social media messages, or ask you to click on a link in the same to update personal information.
Also, be ware of links in email, text, or social media messages that go to survey websites that ask you to participate by submitting your personal or other sensitive information. This is just another deceptive technique or phishing scam that is being used by cybercriminals to collect or harvest their potential victims' personal information.
The deceptive survey websites entice visitors to take part in their bogus surveys, by offering so-called prizes or gifts, which include getting free expensive electronic devices, or a chance to win thousands or millions of dollars in some so-called lotteries.
Remember, always go directly to your bank's, financial institution's or other legitimate companies' websites and sign-in from there, instead of clicking on a link in an email that may take you to a phishing website that steals personal information, financial information, or online account credentials. Or, use your bank's or financial institution's legitimate mobile app to access your account.
Cybercriminals or lottery scammers need your information in order to scam you. Therefore, do not make their jobs easy by giving them your information. Always think twice before sending your information online.
Check the comment section for additional information, or share what you know or ask a question about this article, by clicking the 'View or Write Comment' button below.
Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.