How do I identify a scam call?
AI has also been used by fraudsters to mimic voices, making phone scams even more realistic.
But people can still look out for “psychological tactics” commonly deployed by scammers, such as creating a sense of danger and an urgency to take action. Another red flag is when the other party constantly dodges your questions.
“If you suspect the person at the other end of the line is using a voice deepfake, tell them you will call them back, or just hang up,” said Ms Jennifer Cheng of cybersecurity firm Proofpoint.
“Then, call your family member’s or friend’s actual number to verify if the person who called you was really them.”
Once you identify a scam call, the best course of action is to hang up immediately. While it may be tempting to try and turn the tables on the scammers, experts unanimously said it is not ideal to engage the scammers in any way.
After which, report and block the number.
“Cyber criminals typically do their activities at scale with automated software going through huge stolen lists of numbers,” said Mr Yeo. “Simply answering the phone may tag your phone number as active and you may receive more scam attempts.”
How do you spot a phishing link?
As a rule of thumb, avoid clicking on links that are shared via messaging platforms. Always look up the site via a browser instead, said Ms Cheng, who is Proofpoint’s director of cybersecurity strategy for Asia Pacific and Japan.
If you have to click on a link, check if it’s a shortened URL or if it has spelling errors. Authenticated websites have a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate, which means the URL will begin with “https” rather than “http”.
Other common red flags include suspicious or unusual email addresses and requests for personal data in unsolicited messages, especially those from official institutions. Legitimate financial and government entities typically do not ask for personal information over emails or messages.
Again, steer clear of any form of message that uses threats, urgency with phrases such as “Action Required” and offers that seem too good to be true.