Thankfully, there are ways you can recognize social engineering attacks.
Whenever you receive a message from someone that you don’t know, look for a few tell-tale signs.
- Is the request strange or unexpected?
- Am I being asked for money or information?
- Does the message contain poor spelling or grammar?
- Is the sender or caller unknown to you?
- Does the sender or caller information seem suspicious?
- Is there a sense of urgency in the request?
If anything in this list is true, don’t respond. Using the help section of your e-mail or social media provider, report the message as phishing or spam, if possible. Most importantly, never share any sensitive data, such as your address, date of birth, or bank account number.