You receive a suspicious text message from an unknown sender asking you to click on a link to access your current credit score. This is likely an example of .

Phishing

Explanation: A cybercrime in which, a target or targets are contacted by email, telephone or text message by someone acting or posing as a legitimate institution to lure these targets or a target into providing sensitive data such as personally identifiable information, banking and credit card details, and passwords is referred to as Phishing.

The CyberCriminals use these information to access important accounts, steal identities and even money.

Beside email and website phishing, there are phishing methods like 'vishing' (voice phishing), 'smishing' (SMS Phishing).

SOME FEATURES OF PHISHING EMAILS

The Emails are usually Too Good To Be True with a sense of Urgency, telling you to click on the link fast because the offers are limited.

They may tell you that your account will be suspended unless you update your personal details immediately and with attachments you are supposed to click on and from an unusual sender.

Whether it looks like it's from someone you know or don't know if anything seems out of the ordinary, unexpected, out of character or just suspicious please don't click on it the link. It might just be phishing.