Is it Safe to Pay Bills by Phone?

According to Emilio Simoni, director of dfndr lab – a laboratory specialized in digital security – your bank’s website has tools to ensure the security of transactions like double authentication, virtual keyboards, and encryption. Simoni says, “However, despite these security mechanisms, banking sites can also be hacked by cybercriminals, which create breaches and leave customers vulnerable to scams and identity theft.”

Why is a Mobile Phone a Target?

Simoni says it’s much easier for a hacker to break into and infect a mobile phone than a bank’s webpage, as security is relatively more complex and difficult to break into. Fake banking or phishing banking pages and apps are among the top pitfalls designed to trick people.

How Does Banking Phishing Work?

To increase phishing effectiveness, cybercriminals use social engineering, which is a strategy to convince and encourage a person to do a certain action.

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Banking phishing begins with the creation of a fake website or app that is almost identical to the bank’s official version. After a user provides their data such as account number, tokens, and passwords, it’s common for hackers to stage a weak connection or launch a lockup alert on the victim’s screen, causing someone to reload the page without realizing that the attack has already taken place.

How Can I Protect Myself?

To learn how not to become a victim anymore, check out the tips selected by dfndr lab experts on how to safely pay bills on your mobile phone.

Beware of Incoming Messages

No legitimate bank will communicate with you via SMS, notification, or email. Many criminals send fraudulent messages to mislead users, so never, ever provide credit card numbers, account passwords, or any other banking information. When you receive this type of message, ignore it immediately and, if possible, contact your bank to confirm that everything is in order. Also, don’t click on links sent by unknown senders. When in doubt, you can check whether it is safe or not with a reliable link detector.

Use Trusted Internet Networks

If you connect to an unknown open Wi-Fi network, you become vulnerable because it’s always possible for that type of connection to be compromised. 

“Give preference to private networks like home or work. If you really need to do some emergency online banking away from home, consider using a good VPN app for your phone to ensure anonymous and secure browsing, ”explains Simoni.

Check Apps You Download

A variety of malware masquerades as banking applications that are identical to official ones. “In this situation, the victim provides confidential data to a system that he or she believes to be reliable when it’s actually perpetrated by a cybercriminal. That’s why it’s essential to check reviews before downloading any apps. If you see a lot of negative comments, do a Google search to make sure it’s a safe app, ”warns Simoni.

Keep a Good Antivirus Installed

According to dfndr lab experts, no mobile operating system is truly safe. This means that cybercriminals will always try to find loopholes to exploit. That’s why it’s essential to keep a security app installed, such as dfndr security. It can alert you against scams, data leaks, fake websites, viruses, and identity theft. dfndr security is also the only security app that offers real-time protection against attacks on WhatsApp, Messenger, Browsers, and SMS. You can download dfndr security for free here.