Chapter 02Technology & Internet

How do I spot a scam email or text?

Look for urgency, an unexpected link, a mismatched sender domain, and a request for credentials or payment. Legitimate companies never ask you to confirm a password or move money via a link in a message.

Follow-up questions

What should I do if I clicked a phishing link?

Don't enter anything. If you already did, change that password immediately, enable two-factor authentication, and watch account activity for a few weeks.

How do I check where a link really goes?

Hover on desktop or long-press on mobile to preview the URL, and read the domain immediately before the first single slash — that's the real destination.

Are text-message scams common?

Increasingly so. Delivery-notice, toll-fee, and bank-alert texts are the most reported formats worldwide.

Can scammers fake a real phone number?

Yes, caller ID and SMS sender names are trivially spoofed. Always hang up and call the organisation back on their published number.

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