Viber named "red flags" in messages that give away cyberscammers

6 “red flags” that will help you more easily distinguish a fraudulent request from a regular message

1. Grammatical errors. Scammers make mistakes all the time. Pay attention to punctuation, logic, language, length, and coherence of the text. If the message contains many errors, the recipient immediately moves on to a request, without logical explanations and understandable motives - it's time to sound the alarm.
2. Urgency that creates pressure. Often, a scammer’s appeal is not preceded by any dialogue. This “surprise effect” is created to create pressure and turn off critical perception. Scammers do not give you time to assess risks — you must immediately fulfill the request in order to “not miss a profitable offer”, “not lose access to the account / bill” and “avoid problems”.
3. A message from a friend. A request for help from a loved one inspires trust. It is worth not giving vent to emotions, discussing the situation in more detail, and developing the conversation. If the addressee continues to press for additional questions and clarifications, this is a reason to think. It is always better to call and clarify everything directly.
4. “Hello, you are concerned about Bank X.” Requests from supposedly official companies work the same way as messages from accounts of people you know. Problems with the account, large amounts being debited, blocking are reasons that help scammers demand personal data or funds. No company representative will ever ask for your PIN. For additional verification, you can always contact the company’s hotline regarding the request you received.
5. Easy money and sweepstakes. Guaranteed earnings, prizes for the hundredth buyer, a bonus for subscribing or voting in a contest — all of these can be deceptive tricks of attackers. Look for more detailed information on the Internet: does such a vacancy / company / project exist, whether the said sweepstakes was held, etc.
6. Links and attachments. If you see a suspicious link, an unfamiliar domain, or a file extension, especially if it's from an unknown contact, don't open the document or go to the page. If you've already visited the site, never provide personal information to register a profile, or share your phone number or any other contact information.

How to protect yourself

The Viber team reminds you that the main weapon against scammers is blocking.

To do this:

• select the desired chat;
• Tap the information icon (Android) or the chat name (iOS) at the top of the screen.
• then "Chat information";
• "Block this contact."

In addition, you can configure automatic transfer of all messages from unknown contacts to a separate folder:

To do this:

• click "Advanced";
• then "Settings";
• and "Privacy";
• "Request messages."

“Each message in this folder will be blurred and the user can immediately select the ‘Block and Report’ option. This is useful when there is no time to deal with each request, which may be fraudulent,” Rakuten Viber noted.

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