What text messages are dangerous to keep on your phone: fraudsters can use them

Modern phones have long since gone beyond the functionality of a simple communication device and have become a kind of digital reflection of their owner's personality. The devices store a huge amount of important and sensitive information that can be dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands. In particular, we are talking about SMS.

One way to protect yourself from danger is to delete unnecessary messages. OBOZREVATEL figured out which SMS messages should never be stored in the gadget's memory.

Logins, passwords, secret codes

Many online services send messages to their users with access information, such as logins, passwords, secret codes, etc. during registration and further use. Usually, these are one-time combinations that are valid for a short time. However, it is still better to get rid of them immediately after use, because attackers know how to use such data.

Sensitive personal information

Some users still use SMS to send personal information to each other, from photos to birth dates and other passport details. It's best to download all of this information to a more secure medium than your phone's memory and dispose of it immediately.

Messages with suspicious links

One of the ways online fraud is committed is by sending messages that look like informational or service messages containing links to dangerous pages. These can be websites that infect your device with a virus or so-called phishing pages that allow fraudsters to steal personal data. Therefore, the first rule of such messages is not to click on the links if you are not 100% sure of the sender, and not to store them in your memory so as not to click on the link by accident.

SMS from the bank

Usually, bank security services do their best to protect their customers from any risks by sending out messages. One-time passwords become invalid in a few minutes, personal information such as card number is only partially provided, and each SMS contains all the necessary warnings. Therefore, it is possible to store them in principle. However, cybersecurity experts still recommend not storing such data in the device's memory unless absolutely necessary.

Previously OBOZREVATEL told why it's important to periodically clear the cache of your cell phone.

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