Cybersecurity mistakes rarely feel risky in the moment. A quick click, a reused password, or an urgent payment request can seem routine up until it gives a scammer the opening they need.
Cyber scams are getting more sophisticated and by avoiding common cybersecurity mistakes, you can keep you and accounts safer.
Cybersecurity mistakes are everyday actions that make it easier for scammers to steal money, passwords, or personal information. The most important cybersecurity mistakes to avoid are:
What it is: Phishing emails and smishing texts are designed to look like they come from companies you already know and trust, such as a financial institution, delivery service, retailer, or government agency.
Why it works: The mistake is reacting too quickly to a message that creates urgency, like a warning about a locked account, a missing package, or a suspicious charge.
How to spot and avoid it: Before clicking a link or sharing information, pause and check the sender, spelling, web address, and the request itself. Alliant Credit Union encourages readers to go directly to a company’s website or app when in doubt instead of using the link in the message.
Example: You receive a text that appears to be from your bank saying your account has been locked due to suspicious activity. The message includes a link to “verify” your login, but the link leads to a fake website built to steal your username and password.
What it is: Account takeovers happen when a scammer gets access to one of your accounts, often by stealing your password, verification code, or personal information.
Why it works: Reusing passwords across sites can make this worse because one data breach can give criminals a way into several accounts at once.
How to avoid it: A stronger defense starts with unique passwords for important accounts and multifactor authentication whenever it is available. As Alliant Credit Union often reminds members, it is also important to treat one-time codes like passwords because legitimate companies will not ask you to share them over the phone, by text, or by email.
Example: A scammer gets a password from an unrelated retail data breach and tries it on your email, shopping, and financial accounts. If you reused that password, they may be able to get in and change contact information before you notice.
What it is: A scammer may pretend to be a vendor, landlord, family member, employer, or service provider and claim that a payment method has changed or that money is needed immediately.
Why it works: Payment and invoice fraud often works by pressuring someone to send money before they have time to verify the request. The biggest mistake is assuming a message is real because it appears to come from someone familiar.
How to spot and avoid it: Before sending money, confirm the request through a trusted phone number or known contact method, especially if the payment involves a wire transfer, payment app, gift card, or cryptocurrency.
Example: You get an email that looks like it came from a contractor or service provider saying their payment details have changed and asking you to send the next payment to a new account. The email address looks familiar at first glance, but it is slightly altered.
What it is: A scammer may use a cloned voice or realistic-looking message to impersonate a loved one, executive, company representative, or public figure.
Why it works: AI-powered scams can make fake messages, voices, images, and videos seem more believable than ever.
How to spot and avoid it: The mistake to avoid is trusting a request only because it sounds or looks real. If something feels urgent, unusual, or emotional, slow down, verify through another channel, and use a previously known phone number or contact method before taking action.
Example: You receive a call that sounds like a family member saying they are in trouble and need money right away. The voice may sound convincing, but the urgency and unusual request are red flags that you should verify through another trusted contact method.
The best way to avoid cybersecurity mistakes is to slow down before you click, share, or send. Scammers rely on urgency, confusion, and trust, so taking even a few extra seconds to verify a message can make a major difference.
Whether the threat is a phishing text, an account takeover attempt, a suspicious payment request, or an AI-generated impersonation, the safest response is often the same: pause, confirm, and use trusted contact methods.
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