Danie van der Merwe

This is actually not a very difficult hack, but what is really critical is to NEVER click on links that arrive by e-mail or SMS. Rather, note any reference/tracking number and go independently to the website via your browser and check it out if you think it may be genuine.

The SA Post Office parcel attack is an old one, and as far I know the post office does not do payments online as the payment is made at the desk when receiving the parcel.

The phishing attack may appear to be something genuine, especially if you are waiting for a parcel, but that is exactly how people are being caught out (even those who are pretty tech-savvy - it catches people in those few seconds before their guard is up).

I got a phishing attack attempt just today from a  courier company and when I checked the tracking number on their website, it says the shipment has not yet been created. On their website is also a warning notice about phishing attempt scams.

If you do use virtual bank cards, you should set the daily and monthly limits to just what is needed, and often you can deactivate/activate them just when needed.

See https://mybroadband.co.za/news/security/537453-hacker-shows-how-to-steal-someones-payment-card-details-and-buy-a-tank-of-petrol.html



#technology #SouthAfrica #phishing

A large-scale phishing study involving 14,733 participants over a 15-month experiment has produced some surprising findings that contradict previous research results that formed the basis for popular industry practices. The study was conducted by researchers at ETH Zurich in collaboration with an unnamed company that did not inform the participants about the simulated phishing program.

To conduct the test, the researchers sent fake phishing emails to participants' regular work email and deployed an email client button that allowed them to report suspicious emails easily.

See Large-scale phishing study shows who bites the bait more often

#technology #security #phishing #email

A large-scale phishing study involving 14,733 participants over a 15-month experiment has produced some surprising findings that contradict previous research results that formed the basis for popular industry practices.

I've noticed the last few weeks my webpage about checking whether a phone is stolen or not, has really been trending. Clearly people are worried about being scammed, and especially around those "I'm making an instant EFT payment to you" and similar moves. When it comes to online ordering and marketplaces (yes, looking at you Facebook Marketplace), no-one is your friend.

It's very real, and my own daughter has been scammed twice (once when I was present and even checking the item, which was the topic of a previous post).

So these tips by SABRIC (The South African Banking Risk Information Centre) should be mandatory reading for anyone intending to respond to online offers. They also have a link to an excellent slideshow that businesses may want to distribute to their employees.

See https://www.sabric.co.za/media-and-news/press-releases/protect-your-money-this-festive-season/

#technology #scams #phishing #socialengineering #fraud

So the explanation can make sense except that in my case I fully deleted my account with Instagram many months back in 2020. Sop this really suggests to me that Facebook/Instagram did not actually finally delete my account as was promised...

See Don't let these 'easy to get back on Instagram' emails freak you out — your account hasn't been hacked

#technology #instagram #phishing

It's an email we all dread seeing in our inbox. Maybe it's from Spotify, maybe it's from Facebook. And while the subject line can read almost anything,