Be it at the end of the year parties or birthdays, it has become common in recent years to send e-cards to wish good wishes to loved ones is becoming common. However, like any technology that becomes popular, the tactic seen by many as “cute” is being used to spread cyber attacks.
Whether to steal data, infect cell phones with viruses or even spy on users, electronic cards are used by cyber criminals for the most diverse of crimes. But if people are careful, there’s nothing to worry about.
There are details that can identify scams, and if users are always keeping an eye on them, it is very difficult for them to fall into the crime of fake electronic card. Therefore, we list below the main ways to identify possible fraud in this technology. Check out:
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Sender and Suspected Recipient
Didn’t recognize the sender of the card or think it’s a generic name? Do not open it. It is difficult for stores or large companies to send this type of correspondence to their customers, as there are more effective forms of marketing, even on holiday dates. Also, if it’s meant for some generic name, like “friend,” skip it.
Also avoid cards sent by “a friend” or “secret admirer”. There are much easier and more functional ways for this type of person to search for you on the internet, even anonymously. They would hardly use your email for that.
Talk to the sender
Recognized the sender’s name, but don’t think it’s in his personality to send that kind of message? Get in touch with him through a social network, asking about the card.
With the negative or affirmative of the authorship of the message, you now know whether or not to open the card. This is important, as criminals often take advantage of web scraping and data leakage to impersonate other people, thus putting an extra layer of credibility on scams.
search google
If you are unsure about a message, look up the ecard company name along with the word scam or “olpe” and see what the results are. If it’s a fraud, you’re certainly not going to be the first, and you’ll find reports of other potential victims.
don’t believe the logo
It’s not difficult to paste a logo or email address into e-mail to deceive people. Even if the message is supposed to come from a famous e-card company, check the steps above. It doesn’t take a lot of time and, in the end, can guarantee the security of your device and your data.
Search for a confirmation code
Electronic cards from well-known and popular companies usually come with a confirmation code used to access the card on the official website. If this is not found anywhere in the mail, turn on your alert tone and avoid opening it.
Do not download anything that contains .exe files
This is one of the oldest cyber security tips on the internet. As much as possible, avoid downloading or opening content that comes via email with an extension .exe. These files are executable files that, once opened, can infect machines with a wide range of threats, from simple trojans to powerful ransomware.
Also, legitimate ecards will never have these types of files. Stay smart.
