(SLCERT) Urges Public Caution Against Clicking on Suspicious Links Shared on Social Media Platforms
The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) has issued a warning advising individuals to refrain from clicking on links circulated on social media platforms, promising gifts from well-known brand names and their trademarks.
Charuka Damunupola, Senior Information Security Engineer at SLCERT, emphasized that these links might be distributed through various channels including SMS, WhatsApp, X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook (now known as Meta), and even through calls received on mobile phones.
Damunupola urged the public to verify the authenticity of such requests before engaging with them. He cautioned that such links often originate within friend groups, posing a significant risk to unsuspecting users.
SLCERT’s investigations have revealed that clicking on certain social media links can result in privacy breaches. Users risk compromising personal information such as National Identity Card (NIC) details, driving license information, bank account credentials, One Time Passwords (OTP), and workplace details.
Furthermore, clicking on fraudulent links may prompt the download and installation of third-party mobile applications designed to extract personal information stored on mobile devices.
In addition to refraining from clicking on suspicious links, SLCERT also advised against sharing them with others to prevent further individuals from falling victim to potential cyber threats. Source – dailymirror.lk
