All Android and iPhone owners have been warned about the ‘spear’ attack that hacks banks and wipes devices – a simple rule could save you

PHONE users have been warned about spear phishing attacks that could target their financial and personal details.

Although the name may sound strange, this scam has been around for a while and still targets unsuspecting Apple and Android users every day.

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Spear phishing attacks often happen in professional settings so scammers can pursue a “big phishing” and collect data from a company’s employees, according to McAfee.

Once inside, scammers manipulate their victims into transferring money or giving them access to company systems.

Sometimes a fraudster will achieve both.

Notable attacks of this type of fraud happened in Saudi Arabia in 2016 by Shamoon2.

Cybercriminals have targeted specific groups in the country by sending fraudulent emails.

When victims clicked and opened the attachment, they were immediately infected.

As your data was breached, so were companies and scammers, they took everything and wiped their systems clean.

HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?

The tactic that scammers use to deceive victims is how they can anger so easily.

Hackers often pose as other organizations or someone you know and include a link or attachment in the email that you are asked to click.

If there has been a recent tragedy, a hacker might take advantage of the headlines and send emails to people pretending to be a charity asking for donations.

Instead of being able to donate, by clicking the link or attachment, you self-infect your systems with hacking malware.

Now, these scams have become more advanced with the use of AI.

Hackers can now create deepfakes and pose as employees on calls.

HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOURSELF?

The security group has provided some ways to keep your data and finances safe, including contacting the source immediately.

If you receive an email with an unexpected or suspicious-looking attachment, contact the organization directly.

You can also do more research on their website to see if it is legit.

As soon as a link arrives in your inbox, make sure it’s a link you trust.

Hover over it to see if it leads to a trusted URL, or search Google to see if other people received the same email.

Another tip is to always be careful when putting personal information online.

Fraudsters can collect information about potential victims using public records and social media so that the conversation is directed to you.

Finally, it recommends cleaning up your online presence and removing personal data from websites and social media to further protect yourself.

iPhone and Android users have also been warned to turn off their phones if they hear these AI voice scams.

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