The top 10 most impersonated brands online - Read this to steer clear of phishing
Phishing scams have been around for years, but the thieves behind them constantly change techniques. Earlier this year, phishing scams targeted your bank accounts. Tap or click here for details on these dangerous financial scams.
One of the most successful go-tos for cybercriminals is spoofing. That’s where they impersonate a famous brand or company you do business with and try to trick you out of personal information or banking details. The best way to avoid falling victim is to know what to look for in advance.
That’s why we’re sharing the list of the top 10 most impersonated brands online. Keep reading to discover which company’s phishing scammers are spoofing the most and ways to outsmart them.
Here’s the backstory
Security company Check Point recently released its Q3 Brand Phishing Report. It covers the websites and services spoofed most often to steal personal information, payment or banking information, and other types of valuable data.
You might be surprised to find out that the top 10 list doesn’t consist of all financial institutions. Delivery company DHL actually tops the list of most impersonated brands.
Here’s the complete top 10 list:
- DHL (22% of phishing attacks)
- Microsoft (16% of phishing attacks)
- LinkedIn (11% of phishing attacks)
- Google (6% of phishing attacks)
- Netflix (5% of phishing attacks)
- WeTransfer (5% of phishing attacks)
- Walmart (5% of phishing attacks)
- WhatsApp (4% of phishing attacks)
- HSBC (4% of phishing attacks)
- Instagram (3% of phishing attacks)
LinkedIn reigned supreme during Q1 and Q2, and researchers behind this report believe that DHL’s newfound rank could be due to one especially large attack earlier this summer.
With online shopping so prevalent these days, it makes sense that a delivery company would be the target of phishing scams. Think about how panicked you might get if you receive a message claiming that your package can’t be delivered and you need to click a link to resolve the issue. Evil genius!
How to avoid phishing scams
Phishing scams are a favorite tool of cybercriminals. That’s why it’s critical to know how to avoid falling victim before receiving a phishing text or email.
Tech how-to: 5 ways to share files too big to email
Our cameras take fabulous photos and videos. Our computers tackle data-packed spreadsheets. We can create detailed graphics that look incredible when blown up. But all of that comes with a drawback: huge files.
First, you need to make sure your computer, tablet or smartphone has enough storage to handle those files. Tap or click here for a quick trick to free up more space.
5 ways to share files that are too big to email
We all have file-size problems. Our cameras now take fabulous photos and crisp videos. Our computers can tackle monstrous spreadsheets. But all of that comes with a drawback: really huge files. So what do you do when you want to send that pile of digital photos to grandma, but the file is too big to attach to an email? In this tip, I’m sharing five ways to handle it.