Don’t Be a Cyber Crime Victim: Tips to Protect Yourself from Phishing Attacks

We live in a world of cybercrime, which is the dark side of the many technological advancements we enjoy today. Phishing is the most common type of cybercrime with an estimated 3.4 billion spam emails sent every day, according to AAG Systems.

Phishing is when criminals send spam emails or texts to get the victim to reveal sensitive personal information, or emails and texts containing malicious links that if clicked infect your device with malware. Sometimes phishing emails and texts can have both. Also, phone calls and social media posts can frequently be phishing attempts as well.

Phishing Attacks Are on the Rise

Phishing attacks are on the rise with nearly half (45%) of emails sent in 2021 identified as spam. These fraudulent attacks remain a prevalent threat to businesses and individuals. That means it is more critical than ever to protect yourself from cyber criminals. A common trend is for fraudsters to contact you posing as legitimate company employees trying to obtain your personal information.

It is crucial to know that most legitimate companies, including TransConnect Services (TCS), will never call or email you asking for personal information – especially account numbers, log in credentials, and passwords.

Tips and Best Practices to Protect Yourself from Phishing

But what if you aren’t sure? What if that email looks or that phone call sounds completely legitimate? We put together a few tips and best practices below, compiled with the help of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), to make sure you aren’t the victim of a phishing attack.

• Be skeptical of emails that look legit, even with an actual company logo in the header, but ask you for personal information to fix a fake issue (account locked, suspicious activity, billing discrepancies)
• Never give out passwords or PINs, legitimate companies will never ask for this via email, text, or phone call
• Never click on links or attachments from an unfamiliar source, especially those that offer you something free or say you won a prize
• When in doubt, hover over the sender email address to confirm the legitimacy of the email
• Keep your security software up to date (anti-virus, Firewall protection, etc.) and have it update automatically for both computer and cell phone
• Use multi-factor authentication to protect yourself, which means using two or more credentials to get into your account (passcode or PIN accompanied by a verification code)

TCS Fuel Card Features Robust Security Controls

It’s good to always remain diligent, review your financial transactions regularly, never divulge account information or passwords, and report phishing attempts. At TCS, we take security seriously. The TCS Fuel Card has security controls that can be customized for small trucking companies, larger fleets, and owner-operators including authorized users and locations, prompts for specific information, spending limits, and more.

With the TCS Fuel Card, you get peace of mind from our robust security controls as well as savings at the pump at more than 1,500 in-network locations across the country. Plus, you pay $0 transaction fees at all in-network locations. Are you ready to save money on diesel? Apply for the TCS Fuel Card today.