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I don't respond to texts from people/places I don't recognize or wasn't expecting. I looked at the originating "phone number" in a couple of cases, and they were from Gmail email addresses, not phone numbers. I was able to block those email addresses. I never responded, and I'm not sure I even opened the texts, since I could see in list of incoming "calls" who was sending me a text? I don't remember exactly. I was surprised there's a way to send texts from email addresses. Apparently this is something that Google enabled.
I don't do much business via phone, so that so far, it's easier for me to spot something unusual. Those options in my accounts that ask permission to contact me via text...I never allow that. It's always by email, and I'm watchful of scams there, too. I allow texts only for providers like electric company & internet provider to text me regarding outages.
I don't do banking and other business through my phone, but since everything is connected these days, I suppose someone could access that info thru the internet on my phone? It's scary.
I also try to check account balances periodically to make sure nothing looks suspicious. I have accounts set to notify me of changes in account balances, too, if they offer that service.
You are security-conscious and those are good practices but I think you overestimate the risk of phones/texts relative to other means. I think phone transactions are more secure than internet transactions or in-person transactions. When you pay through your phone the information is sent through a secure channel end to end. When you hand your credit card to a waiter you have no idea if they copied the info or even cloned the card. If I could figure out your username/password I could get into your email account and do anything I want, lock you out, and use it to get your other information. I can't log in to your phone - you can't either - so the only way to see your texts is to have physical possession of the phone and the code to open it. Just because some people are careless and use their phones insecurely doesn't mean they are insecure. Those same people easily get themselves hacked by all the alternatives as well.
Set up alerts from the bank (or credit card issuer) for any transactions. I receive a text from the bank for every transaction in my accounts: credit card, checking, or savings account. Use the bank's app to verify the transactions.
I know immediately if something is happening, and I can call the bank to stop further transactions.
That's crazy. I'm amazed by the level of effort that these scammers are going through. The emails that are getting through my spam filters are insane. And the number of scam texts are alarming as well.
Is it? The level of effort they go through.......with modern computers? How easy is it to do a mass attack with the computing power we have these days and if 1% of that effort hits pay dirt, then it was all worth it.
If you are writing the program yourself, it is one thing but if someone else writes the program and many others use it......it is another.
Quote:
Originally Posted by oceangaia
You are security-conscious and those are good practices but I think you overestimate the risk of phones/texts relative to other means. I think phone transactions are more secure than internet transactions or in-person transactions. When you pay through your phone the information is sent through a secure channel end to end. When you hand your credit card to a waiter you have no idea if they copied the info or even cloned the card. If I could figure out your username/password I could get into your email account and do anything I want, lock you out, and use it to get your other information. I can't log in to your phone - you can't either - so the only way to see your texts is to have physical possession of the phone and the code to open it. Just because some people are careless and use their phones insecurely doesn't mean they are insecure. Those same people easily get themselves hacked by all the alternatives as well.
Me, I don't use my phone for any of that because it operates under the philosophy of "Not be left in unenlightened hands". That is, should it fall into unenlightened hands, it can tell them very little......and I don't lose any sleep worrying about its recovery.
It drives my yard man nuts that I don't do his payments that way but in any case, I am a romantic.......I prefer posting the cheque with picture stamps from my box out on the road.
Me, I don't use my phone for any of that because it operates under the philosophy of "Not be left in unenlightened hands". That is, should it fall into unenlightened hands, it can tell them very little......and I don't lose any sleep worrying about its recovery..
Put a proper passcode on it and it will tell nothing at all if it falls into "unenlightened hands", no matter how much data it has on it. What if your purse falls into "unenlightened hands"?
Put a proper passcode on it and it will tell nothing at all if it falls into "unenlightened hands", no matter how much data it has on it. What if your purse falls into "unenlightened hands"?
What purse? That all goes back when I was riding a mountain bike to work and what if I got knocked off my bike and knocked out? Before rescue, there was a good chance that a bystander would make off with my hipster so all vital data was transferred to be directly on my person.
In any event, much of my life operates under "unenlightened hands" in so many procedures. Passwords are not written down, for example, but locked in my head or in my diary......in pictures. Like this one of a password passed, https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/P5EAA...Z4t/s-l500.jpg . Somewhere in that picture is the word sequence for that password. The picture is in the diary of the time but in order to know what it is, you have to know how my mind works. FURTHER, my diaries are written in abstract lest they fall into unenlightened hands. An abstract reference to something that decodes it all......but that reference is in my head, not down in writing.
In any event, much of my life operates under "unenlightened hands" in so many procedures. Passwords are not written down, for example, but locked in my head or in my diary......in pictures. Like this one of a password passed, https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/P5EAA...Z4t/s-l500.jpg . Somewhere in that picture is the word sequence for that password. The picture is in the diary of the time but in order to know what it is, you have to know how my mind works. FURTHER, my diaries are written in abstract lest they fall into unenlightened hands. An abstract reference to something that decodes it all......but that reference is in my head, not down in writing.
Hopefully, you know what constitutes a secure password. It has little to do with how hard it would be for someone to guess it. Many people vastly overestimate the security and complexity of the passwords they choose.
Hopefully, you know what constitutes a secure password. It has little to do with how hard it would be for someone to guess it. Many people vastly overestimate the security and complexity of the passwords they choose.
Hence a good reason why not to trust this technology the way a lot of people do. As often said, I don't do apps and it is not because, well not entirely, of an old dog not learning new tricks.
I just called Wells Fargo 10 minutes ago. Their verification system involves 1) asking me to key in last 4 digits of my social security #, and 2) asking me to enter my ATM pin.
I refused to enter ATM pin 3 times; then I was transferred to a live person. The rep sent a text with 6-digit verification number to my phone and asked me to read back; and I did (since I called them instead of they called me; I thought it's OK). That's how I passed the 2nd stage verification.
KNTERPOL just contacted me, told me I had committed an offense after being targeted on the net, sent me a pdf about it (I suppose for I didn't click it), await my justification, and I have been warned.
The sender's address was personal, with an edu mixed in and ending in .mx. Deleted it after a glance.
The thing is I know enough about interpol, having studied it and often used its website not to be "impressed" by this.
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j/k