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Phishing attacks are becoming more sophisticated every year, targeting individuals through phishing emails, text messages, and even phone calls. These scams are designed to trick you into revealing sensitive information—such as your account credentials, credit card details, or Social Security number—by pretending to be a trusted source.
Rather than hacking into your accounts directly, cybercriminals manipulate you into voluntarily handing over your personal or financial information. That’s why learning how to avoid phishing scams is essential for protecting your online accounts and financial security.
Recognizing Phishing Emails and Messages
The most common phishing scams arrive via email or text messages, posing as legitimate communications from banks, online retailers, or social media platforms. These phishing messages often contain urgent requests, asking you to click a link or open an attachment that may compromise your device or steal your personal data.
Warning Signs of Phishing Emails and Texts:
- You receive an unexpected email or text from a sender you don’t recognize—or from someone you do know, but the message seems suspicious.
- The email address contains subtle misspellings (e.g., sweepstakes@sonward.com instead of sweepstakes@sunward.com).
- The message urges immediate action, such as:
- “Your account has been locked.”
- “Suspicious activity detected—verify your information.”
- “You have an unpaid invoice—click here to resolve.”
- The email contains attachments or links that prompt you to enter login credentials, personal details, or payment information.
- The sender claims to be a shipping carrier (FedEx, UPS) with a vague or poorly formatted delivery notification.
PRO TIP: If an email or text message seems suspicious, don’t click on any links or attachments—even an “unsubscribe” link can be used to verify active email addresses for future attacks. Instead, independently contact the company or person using official contact details.
Spotting Suspicious Calls (Vishing)
Phishing isn’t just limited to email—scammers also use phone calls (a tactic called vishing) to impersonate trusted organizations, including banks, government agencies, and even law enforcement. These fraudsters use spoofed phone numbers to make it appear as if the call is coming from a legitimate source.
Red Flags for Phishing Phone Calls:
- You receive a call from a bank or credit union asking for personal or financial information, such as your full debit or credit card number, PIN, or bank account details. Legitimate financial institutions will never ask for this over the phone.
- A caller claims to be from 911, a utility company, or the police, pressuring you to provide personal details or make an immediate payment.
- The call uses urgent or threatening language, such as, “Your account has been compromised,” or “You owe back taxes and will be arrested if you don’t pay now.”
- The caller requests remote access to your computer or device, claiming they need to fix a security issue.
PRO TIP: If you receive an unexpected call requesting sensitive information, hang up immediately. Do not press any buttons or interact with the call, even if they claim pressing a key will remove you from their list. Instead, report the phishing attempt and block the phone number.
How to Avoid Phishing Scams and Protect Your Online Accounts
To safeguard your personal and financial information, take the following precautions:
- Verify Before You Click: Never click a link or open an attachment in an email or text message unless you are 100% sure of the sender’s legitimacy.
- Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Adding an extra layer of security to your accounts makes it much harder for hackers to gain access, even if your password is compromised.
- Use Strong, Unique Passwords: Avoid using the same password across multiple sites. Consider a password manager to securely store and generate complex passwords.
- Monitor Your Online Accounts Regularly: Keep an eye on your banking, credit card, and social media accounts for unauthorized transactions or changes.
- Report Phishing Attempts: If you receive a suspicious email, text, or phone call, report phishing scams to your email provider, phone carrier, or a consumer protection agency. If you receive a phishing message related to your Sunward account, forward it to scamreport@gosunward.org. A Sunward representative will review your report and respond during regular business hours if additional details are needed.
Phishing Scams Are Becoming More Sophisticated with AI
With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), phishing attacks are evolving at an alarming rate. Scammers are now leveraging AI-powered tools to create highly convincing phishing emails, realistic deepfake voice scams, and even AI-generated phishing websites that are nearly indistinguishable from legitimate ones.
Examples of AI-Driven Phishing Scams:
- Deepfake Voice Phishing (Vishing 2.0): AI-generated voice clones can mimic the speech of a CEO, bank representative, or even a family member. Scammers use voice deepfake technology to impersonate someone you trust, urging you to transfer funds or provide personal information over the phone.
- Hyper-Personalized Phishing Emails: Instead of generic scam messages, AI can analyze your social media, email habits, and public data to craft highly targeted phishing emails. These emails may reference recent online purchases, upcoming travel plans, or even your colleagues' names to make them seem authentic.
- AI-Generated Fake Customer Support Chats: Scammers are using AI chatbots to impersonate real customer support representatives. You might receive an email directing you to a fraudulent chat link where a chatbot pretends to be from your bank, credit card company, or a popular online retailer.
- Malicious AI-Powered Attachments: AI-generated malware is being embedded in attachments that bypass traditional security filters. These files might appear as legitimate invoices, work documents, or customer service responses, but once opened, they install keyloggers or spyware.
- Phishing Websites Built with AI: Scammers use AI to quickly generate phishing websites that perfectly mimic real sites, like your bank’s login page or an Amazon order confirmation page. The goal is to trick you into entering your login credentials, credit card details, or other sensitive information.
How to Protect Yourself from AI-Driven Phishing Scams:
- Verify unexpected calls from known contacts. If your "boss" or "bank" calls requesting money or sensitive details, hang up and call back using their official number.
- Be cautious of emails with hyper-personalized details. Just because an email includes personal information doesn’t mean it's safe—cybercriminals scrape data from public sources.
- Double-check URLs before logging in. If a website looks familiar but has even a small difference in the URL, it may be a phishing site.
Stay Safe with Sunward
Protecting your sensitive information is our priority. Learn more about security and your Sunward accounts by visiting our page, Security and Your Sunward Accounts.
Report a Scam: If you receive a phishing message related to your Sunward account, forward it to scamreport@gosunward.org. A Sunward representative will review your report and respond during regular business hours if additional details are needed.
