We’ve received reports of a malicious text message purportedly from the popular Job portal Jobberman. This text message arrives with the sender identified as Jobberman and a link to chat with a number on WhatsApp. Below are two samples.
What makes this particular text message insidious is that it impersonates Jobberman, in fact, one of our respondents told us that was the reason he was convinced to click the link. This is obviously a case of SMS spoofing, where the sender name is changed to impersonate a legitimate brand. Unfortunately, this does not require technical competence as there are various paid and free platforms on the internet offering such services.
Consequently, always pause when you receive a text message asking you to take any action. Don’t react simply because you recognize the sender’s name. Then evaluate what you’re being asked to do, here are some tips:
- Never clicks links in a text message except you specifically requested it.
- If you receive a link claiming to be from a service you use, do not click the link directly, rather visit their website.
- Never click links mentioned in “password reset” message
- If the message contains a number, copy and paste it into a search engine or nairaland
- If you receive transaction alerts via SMS, always login into your internet banking or mobile app to verify the status of the transaction and your balance.
- Service providers will never ask for sensitive information via SMS, never give your details via SMS.
- Whenever in doubt, do not take action on what you’re being asked to do, rather seek guidiance from someone more knowlegeble than yourself.
Remember, eternal vigilance is the price for safety. Shine ya eye, make you NO GO FALL MAGA!