A cybersecurity expert has revealed three phrases you should stay vigilant of when in conversation with a cold caller, to avoid being scammed out of personal information and money. In the last year alone, there has been a substantial increase in fraud - mainly originating from social media, online marketplaces, and dating apps.
UK Finance - who represent the banking industry - report that fraud losses across 2021 totalled £1.3billion, with £1.4billion in attempted fraud prevented. One particular concern with regards to fraud complaints came in the rise of WhatsApp ploys like the notorious 'hi mum' con.
Dr Klaus Schenk, who is the head of product security at Verimatrix, has since given advice on the 'warning signs' you should look out for to indicate whether something is a little fishy during an unsolicited call. He detailed the first thing to look out for is a blocked or unknown number, as well as three phrases in particular as an indicator you should hang up.
