5 ways to stay safe against new cyber threats targeting your phone

In recent years, the focus of crime has shifted. The increased security of our computers has made it harder to spread computer viruses and the absence of cash makes traditional robberies rare. Instead, a criminal’s new weapon is social engineering.

Further reading: Quishing and vishing: How to protect yourself from new security threats

A person calls you claiming to be a relative, a police officer, a bank official, or someone else you trust. They try to get you to pay money, give them your account details, or install programs on your computer. There’s always a rush — stress can make most of us do unthinkable things.

Today, real people make the calls, but they’re being replaced by AI voices that can work 24 hours a day. And even more frightening is the possibility of cloning existing voices with artificial intelligence. In other words, it really sounds like your sister calling from Rome.

According to the police, the number of scams using social engineering is increasing by 40 percent a year and they account for 60 percent of fraud crimes against the elderly. Fortunately, there are simple ways to protect yourself. Here are five vital tips:

1. Hang up the phone! Because scammers are experts at social engineering, any kind of conversation is risky.
2. Call back! If you’re not sure who’s calling, you can always call back. When you call back yourself, you have control over who you talk to.
3. Look up the number! Whether it’s a phone number or a website address, it’s important not to use the links you receive via email or text message, as they may be fake. Instead, search for the contact details via the official website.
4. Use code words! One way to counter social engineering is to agree on a secret code word with family and friends. By agreeing on a unique word to use in an emergency, you can be sure that it is not a fake AI voice calling.
5. Block it! Never reply to scam emails or text messages, as this confirms that the address and number are being used. However, you can use the Report Spam icon in your email service.

If we all follow this advice and pass it on to our friends and family, there is a chance that cyber fraud will soon become as rare as bank robberies are today.