B
21

Got phished at a coffee shop in Portland last Tuesday

I was working on my laptop at this busy coffee shop downtown (the one with the good cold brew) and got an email that looked exactly like a password reset from my bank. I clicked the link before I even realized the URL was off by one letter, and that's when I knew I messed up. What's your go-to method for spotting fake login pages when you're on public WiFi?
3 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In
3 Comments
dianaanderson
Skip public WiFi altogether and use your phone as a hotspot instead.
8
daniel_martin
Gotta jump in here because @dianaanderson's point about using your phone hotspot isn't bad, but it's not a total fix. Getting phished on a coffee shop network is more about you being distracted and in a hurry than the WiFi itself. In my experience, the real trick is to slow down and check the URL bar twice before you type anything, even if the email or page looks legit. The one-letter-off trick gets almost everyone at least once, and hotspotting your phone won't save you from that if you're still clicking first and looking second. Your mileage may vary, but I'd say it's worth practicing that pause, even when you're cranky and need caffeine.
4
anthony_campbell88
anthony_campbell881mo agoMost Upvoted
Idk maybe it's just me but when you're rushing to get your caffeine fix how do you even remember to slow down and check that URL bar? Like my brain is on autopilot at 7am before I've had my cold brew. Do you have a specific trick you use to force yourself to pause, like physically putting your phone down before clicking anything?
1