This web page will focus on making people aware of phishing scams, while at the same time minimizing training scammers to be better scammers.
I would get far more clicks with a headline such as "Do this one thing and you will never get scammed!"
Like most clickbait, the above headline would be nonsense.
Phishing emails and other internet scams are evolving threats.
This web page deals specifically with phishing.
For best results, I suggest that you read the text on this page and watch the videos embedded in the web page then also do the same for the following 2 web pages on my website:
A scammer might acquire a list of emails from any one or any combination of the following:
Paying for a list.
Getting access to a system through a technical exploit. A technical exploit refers to "deceiving the computer" or finding security weakness in the hardware and/or software.
Social engineering. Social engineering means deceiving the person using the computer.
Technical Exploit
A technical exploit that scammers use to breach a system might involve something such as buffer overflows and SQL injection.
There is not much you can do about systems outside your control getting breached, so I am not going to spend a lot of time on this section.
However, one point that I would like to emphasize is that you should never the same password on more than one website.
If a scammer acquires a username/password combination from a data breach, you should expect that the scammer will then use that combination on multiple other websites.
There is danger in reusing a password even with a different username.
Social Engineering
Most of us receive large amounts of scam emails.
Much, but not all, of those scam emails are simple social engineering.
In addition to social engineering, a scam email might also try to download malware onto your device.
Social Engineering Example: Introduction
In the YouTube video below, I introduce the concept of social engineering.
Social Engineering: Introduction
Social Engineering Example: Netflix
In the example below, I go over a scam email that a scammer wants you to believe is from Netflix.
Netflix Phishing
Social Engineering Example: Scammer wants your credit card number!
In the phishing email below, the text of the email says that the website will want your credit card number for... account validation??
Do not believe it!
Credit card harvesting
Social Engineering Example: "Trusted Sender"
In the example below I go over a scam email that a scammer wants you to believe is from a "Trusted Sender".
I sadly expect that some people will see the video below and yet still be fooled when they come across the bold promise of the email "being from a trusted sender".