TIL a simple browser extension saved me from a phishing attempt last week

I always thought I was pretty good at spotting fake emails, but last Thursday I almost clicked a link that looked exactly like my bank's login page. The URL was off by one letter, but the layout and logo were spot on. My buddy who works in IT told me to install an extension that checks links in real time. I put it off for months, thinking it was overkill for a small business owner like me. That extension flagged the email as suspicious before I even opened it fully. Now I'm wondering how many times I might have missed something similar before. Has anyone else had an extension save them from a mistake they didn't know they were making?

2 comments

2 Comments

finleyh8913d ago

Oh please, you almost clicked one link and now you're acting like you dodged a bullet. People freak out over phishing way too much when most of it is still obvious junk. Just use common sense and you'll be fine without another browser tool slowing things down.

kaid5913d ago

Yeah but that one almost-click is all it takes if you land on a bad day. I've been carrying mail for a while now and I've seen the same phishing junk come through for years. It's usually obvious like you said but every once in a while they get clever with a spoofed tracking notice or something that looks dead on like your bank login page. Common sense is good but it's not perfect when you're distracted or tired after a long day. A simple blocker is lightweight enough that it doesn't slow anything down and it's just one less thing to have to think about when you're clicking through stuff fast.