Understanding Phishing Attacks and How to Avoid Them

Phishing is one of the most common digital scam methods — attackers pose as an official party (a bank, a marketplace, even a course platform) to steal login credentials or payment card information.

Common signs of a phishing email/message: pressure to act fast ("your account will be closed within 24 hours"), a link whose domain looks similar but isn't the official one (e.g. letters swapped for numbers), and requests for sensitive data that should never be asked for by email (passwords, OTPs, PINs).

How to verify a link before clicking: hover your cursor over the link (without clicking) to see the real URL in the corner of the browser, or manually retype the official address in the address bar instead of clicking from the email.

Never share an OTP code with anyone — including someone claiming to be "customer service staff." An OTP code is genuinely only meant to be used by you on the official app/site, and is never requested by legitimate staff over phone or chat.

If you're ever unsure whether a message is genuine or phishing, the safest approach is to contact the company directly through an official channel (the app or a verified customer service number) — not through the number or link found in the suspicious message itself.