Recently, several large enterprises have warned their customers that fraudsters are sending misleading e-mails and SMS messages on their behalf. If customers click on such messages or links in good faith or out of carelessness, their data may easily fall into the wrong hands and they may even suffer financial losses. Experience shows that fraudsters are constantly coming up with new and increasingly sophisticated solutions, creating new fake websites and updating their misleading messages in a very short time which makes them difficult to stop.
Raising awareness is essential, but there are simple ways to protect yourself
Fraudulent emails and SMS messages are effective when they target people who are actually customers of the given company. Any (apparently) official notification should make you suspicious, if
• the layout of the company e-mail is not as usual,
• the text includes spelling mistakes and improper grammar,
• you feel there is no reason for you to provide any data anywhere,
• you are contacted with a suspiciously cheap or free offer, or you have won a high value prize without even entering a prize draw
• the URL address in the e-mail link does not contain the name of the company requesting the data, or contains it only only as a compound word – these are always suspicious signs!
Besides making people aware of how to recognise fraudulent emails and SMS messages, Yettel also provides solutions to prevent your data from getting into fraudsters’ hands even if you accidentally open the link of a phishing website. The NetPajzs service launched by Yettel last November blocks fraudulent websites already on the internet, meaning that suspected websites simply cannot be opened. This is due to one of the outstanding features of the service: it can block phishing websites based on a database that is updated every 3 minutes, protecting you when you click on a link from a fraudulent website, whether it’s accessed from an email, an SMS message or a chat link, or even a link behind a fraudulent banner making an attractive offer. The NetPajzs security solution has been activated by more than 100,000 customers to date.
NetPajzs has blocked suspected fraudulent and phishing websites nearly 3 million times in 3 months
The service is able to protect internet traffic passing through Yettel’s network, so the company’s mobile and home internet customers can benefit from the protection. After the first free month, online protection is available for the price of a cup of coffee, i.e. 390 HUF per month. The KiberPajzs website, launched upon the initiative of the National Bank of Hungary, provides further useful information and case studies on known and easily avoidable methods of internet fraud.
Overall, you can make the mistake of opening a phishing site when you are in a rush or are careless, but fraudulent e-mails can also be very similar to the genuine service provider’s e-mail which means it takes a high level of vigilance to spot the trap. With appropriate alertness and attention, you can avoid fraudulent websites, but technology solutions are also available to help you effectively detect them. As a regular internet user, it’s also worth keeping up to date with the latest scams, asking for advice and using the knowledge you have gained to help older internet users or the younger generation just coming online.
More information about the NetPajzs service: https://www.yettel.hu/netpajzs
9 tips to combat phone and internet fraud: https://www.yettel.hu/aktualis-visszaelesek-kezelese
The KiberPajzs website launced upon the initiative of the National Bank of Hungary: https://kiberpajzs.hu/