The 2023 Mid-Year Scams and Cybercrime Statistics report conducted by the Singapore Police Force recorded around 24,500 cases of scams and cybercrimes just from January to June 2023. Phishing scams composed 13.4% of the cases noted, with the amount of money stolen from victims reaching about SGD 7.4 million. As such, Singaporeans are always warned about the perils of sharing one’s sensitive information online to lower these numbers. But how does one spot a phishing scam? Here’s a quick guide on how to prevent phishing scammers from turning you into their next victim.

Spotting a Phishing Scam

The first step towards avoiding phishing scams is to learn how to spot them. What often makes them so effective is that some people tend to mistake these scam emails and messages as legitimate, and thus end up giving their personal or financial information to the scammers. This is because these cyber criminals typically employ sophisticated social engineering techniques and tend to exploit the trust of victims, guiding them toward performing reckless actions by creating a sense of urgency. The following are some signs of phishing attempts to watch out for.

Sign #1 – Asking for confidential information

The most obvious telltale sign of a phishing message is that it comes from an unknown sender asking you for your sensitive information. In many cases, it isn’t always easy to tell if that unknown person is legitimate since their messages tend to look quite professional, precisely because of their intent to mislead people. For example, the email may claim to be someone from your bank asking you to verify your online banking details with them. The message itself will probably use logos, graphics, and even an identity associated with the bank, which can make you think it’s legitimate.

Sign #2 – Demands urgent response and threatens you with a consequence if not met

Another characteristic of a phishing message is that its demands tend to be urgent, sometimes even bordering on threatening. Building on the above example, the same email might then continue to say that if you don’t provide your details within the day, you’ll be locked out of your bank account. Of course, you wouldn’t want to lose access to your own money, so you might indeed think of giving them the information they need just to be safe.

Data gathering platform Statista actually noted in a 2023 cybercrime and security report that 23% of phishing attacks worldwide targeted financial institutions, no doubt for obvious reasons. After all, even just a few bites from a mass email phishing scam can rake in a good sum of money, as long as they gain access to those individuals’ bank accounts.

However, keep in mind that no trustworthy institution—much less your bank—will just outright ask for such sensitive information over email. So instead of panicking, try to phone your bank directly first to check whether your account is indeed in such danger. Likewise, doing so would alert them of phishing scams made in their name and can thus help them track down the criminals in addition to sending out warnings to other customers as well.

Sign #3 – Offers rewards that sound too good to be true

Phishing scams don’t always take the form of imitating a financial organisation or some other type of business. For instance, you may suddenly get a message saying you’ve just won an all-expense paid trip for two to Hawaii. All you have to do is to click the link they’ve sent and input the required details so they can facilitate the prize transfer. Sounds amazing, right? Not quite. Anyone who enters their details on the page the link opens to will find they’ve just become a victim of a scam.

While those offers may be tempting, you should be outright sceptical of such messages. If you don’t remember entering any raffle or promo, then it’s most likely a scam. Likewise, being asked for sensitive information or sometimes even money as a “transactional fee” for your prize are obvious red flags as well.

Sign #4 – Email or message coming with suspicious attachments

Links are not the only tools used in phishing. Sometimes, malware can be transferred as attachments to emails, SMS, and chat messages as well. If opened, it can then infiltrate your device or computer to steal your data. Always remember to avoid opening any attachments from unknown senders, regardless of how urgent or important the body of the email says it is. Also be sure that your device has antivirus software installed to sweep it of malware infection and to keep your data secure from other possible cyber attacks.

Keeping Yourself Safe from Phishing Attacks

Being vigilant and having the right knowledge when it comes to spotting phishing attempts are key to keeping yourself safe from scams. Luckily there are various resources you can use to educate yourself on the matter. One such platform is Scam Alert, an initiative by the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) that compiles scam types with tips on how to not fall victim to them.

If you do find yourself a victim of a phishing scam, your first step should be to change the password of the compromised account. Likewise, if what has been stolen are your banking or credit card details, then promptly alert your bank so they can freeze the accounts in the meantime. Report the cybercrime to relevant authorities as well.

Even though the internet has given criminals a new platform to scam people, you can still protect yourself by staying alert and stopping their scamming attempts right in their tracks. Let the signs noted in this article be your guide in ensuring your online accounts remain safe and secure from any phishing attack.