BE 414: How to Protect Yourself in an Online World
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This is the Business English Podcast, Episode 414, How to Protect Yourself in an Online World.

Welcome to the Business English podcast from All Ears English. Get the English skills you need to achieve your dreams in global business. For a presentation, a meeting, or your office party, this is Real Business English with your favorite American hosts, Lindsay and Aubrey, coming to you from Arizona and Colorado, USA. Welcome to the Business English podcast from All Ears English.

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Hello Aubrey, how's it going today? I'm great Lindsay, how are you? Good, but I've got a question for you. Okay. Aubrey, have you ever been scammed or do you know anyone who has? Oh man, well I received a notification from my bank just a few weeks ago that someone tried to sign up for a credit card through them in my name.

So luckily, their fraud prevention recognized that and checked with me and I let them know this wasn't me. And so they were able to not approve it, but it caused a lot of problems for me. I had to cancel my card, like change a lot of things. Oh my gosh. I didn't necessarily fall for a scam. Like they got far enough in the process that I had to change a lot of my security measures. So kind of like an identity theft case.

kind of thing. Wow. Okay. Well, I'm glad you were able to prevent that and just head that off, right? There's a lot you have to do. There are corporations that you have to contact and notify, like credit reporting bureaus, so that they're able to keep an eye out for things and not let it affect your credit. So it's a long process. That sounds exhausting. Yes, it was. So what are we getting into today, Aubrey?

So this is a very common experience, right? We're going to share vocabulary related to scams and how to avoid some of the most common scams. This is especially important at work because you likely are using sensitive information that is

very dangerous. It's not just my name being used to apply for a credit card. You potentially have access to information on your work laptop that you would not want stolen. There's a lot that goes into what could happen if someone scams you. Yeah, that's why they ask people just to use their work laptop for...

work things and then have a personal laptop. Some companies will do that, right? You're not supposed to only on a protected network network. There's a lot, especially when you work for a larger corporation, right? Um, that's why, so these are phrases, I mean, this may not be the most positive topic, but it's, is a reality of our lives online now.

And these are phrases that are gonna come up in your conversations with other global professionals, okay? - Exactly, so let's dive into some of the terminology. Our first word here is phishing, spelled with a PH. So this is a type of online fraud where criminals impersonate legitimate companies or banks to try to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information, passwords, credit card details. Usually this comes in the form of a fake email or a text

website. Yes. And sometimes you'll get emails from a bank and they'll warn you about a known phishing scam or something like that that you have to be careful of. Exactly. To keep an eye out for. Yes. And then malware. Oh, gosh. Not a great thing to think about. But we do have to

think about it. We have to be aware. Yeah. Short for malicious software. It's a computer program that is designed to damage or steal data from a computer or a network. Okay. Yeah. So luckily, there are a lot of security protocols that have been added that this we're less prone to, you know, being victim to malware, but it still can happen.

Yes, and then the old virus. What is that? It's just a specific type of malware. So it can self replicate and spread by attaching itself to other files or programs. So there's lots of different types of malware. One of them is a virus. Now Aubrey, this next one is totally new to me, smishing.

I have no idea what this is. The word might be new to you, but I bet you've experienced it. This is SMS phishing. So this is like a text message you've received from a scammer that appears to be from a person or a legitimate company that's actually designed to trick users into clicking on malicious links or sharing personal information. I get these all the time from EasyPass. So it makes it look like I need to pay a toll to the state.

and saying that I owe a small fine and it's just trying to get me to click on that link. Yes, I've gotten those too. Yep. Yeah. So that is smishing. So scammy. And we have another interesting word blend here, vishing. This one, I feel like I get a lot. So I don't really answer the phone anymore. Yeah.

I know. Luckily, it says usually like, you know, potential scam or something on your phone. And I don't even listen, you know, answer those at all. Yeah, but they try to, I think, record your voice, right? And you, you know, they'll say like, Oh, is that you? Is it? Yes, it's me. And then very sketchy. So yeah, don't answer at all, right? Not answering because in my mind, if someone wants to say something, they can leave a voicemail, call them right back. I look at the voicemail transcription.

Right? Yep. Yeah, smart. So this stands for voice phishing. So this would be a scammer making a phone call that appears to be from a person or legitimate company, but it's designed to trick users into sharing personal information, paying money maybe, or like Lindsay said, recording your voice.

There's, did you see the show Telemarketers on HBO, Lindsay? I didn't. It's really good. It's about a real telemarketing scam where all of these employees were hired by a firm in New Jersey and they thought they were raising money for firefighters and police charities. They were calling people, they were donating money and they were actually funneling it.

to these people who had set up this whole, the whole, the HBO show is fascinating about how they created, most of the people, all of the people who were making these phone calls thought they were working for a legitimate charity.

Oh, no. Actually, when I was at the podcast conference last year, I realized that there were some speakers presenting that have podcasts about scam hunters, sort of. This has become a sub-niche in entertainment where people actually investigate scams. It's super interesting.

I want to watch that. Yeah, especially because I want to know all of the potential scams out there. Yeah, that I'm don't fall for them. Yeah, I actually listened to what I did once, Lindsay, because I was worried that my parents would fall for a scam. Yeah, I sent an email that was like offering to buy something they had posted online. And I was like, I'll, you know, I'll pay you more. I like made a fake email account.

And I'll pay you more. And then I need you to cut me a check for the difference. Just to see what they would do if they would fall for this very common email scam. And they totally did. They were like, yep, that sounds great. Or should we send the check? So then I called them. I was like, no, that was me. And you can't fall for this. That is hilarious. I love that. Yeah, we worry about our parents. I worry about my parents too.

for sure. But that's a good reason to tune into these shows, right? It's almost like true crime. It's a sub-niche of true crime. Super interesting. Yeah, but being aware of what's out there so that, you know, and also that we can inform other people around us. Like, I feel like it's a duty to let my parents and you guys out there be aware of all of these scams, the most common scams, so that you don't fall for them because there can be drastic consequences monetarily, financially,

or with your credit, your identity, all kinds of issues. Yes, all that good stuff. And being smart about the products that we purchase to make sure that they protect us too. Right, Aubrey? I mean, for example, working at a coffee shop. What do we think about that? Yeah, right. If you're traveling and you need Wi-Fi, you might just go to a coffee shop and you could end up using an unprotected network. A lot of the networks that are provided for free, free Wi-Fi, are not protected.

I think about this a lot when I'm at the airport. I usually try to get on my own, like my hotspot from my phone into my laptop instead of going on the airport Wi-Fi. It just feels like a place, right? That doesn't always work. I've tried to use my phone's hotspot.

And it's either not strong enough or I don't have a good enough cell signal. So that's not always a good option or not a viable option. No, it's true. It can be risky, right? Hackers can eavesdrop. They can allowing them to potentially steal personal data and passwords or infect your device with malware. Right.

That's the thing, right? If you're on an unprotected service, you're opening yourself up to a lot of risk, especially like if you're using a business laptop on an unprotected, but even your own, right? If they can steal your passwords, your personal information, and then use that to access other information.

Yes, exactly. Exactly. Aubrey, so what else do we need to know here? Yeah, well, luckily, there's a lot that you guys can do to avoid this. This is the goal. We've kind of shared all of the scary with you, right? Yes. But there is a lot that you can do. Knowledge, like we were saying, being aware of all of this so that you don't fall for things.

But then also there are really good options like our sponsor, Saley. They have an eSIM card that's affordable. It's easy to use and it only has to be installed once. Yes, it's a great way to protect your privacy. Their security features block malicious ads and protect your information.

Yeah, and it also makes it a lot easier to access Wi-Fi wherever you are so that you can move freely even when you're traveling around different countries without needing a different SIM card. Plus, it's compatible with all iOS or Android devices. Yeah, we've been talking a lot this past month about how important it is to have a SIM card that you don't have to change out when you move to a country. I'll be traveling in the EU in May and I need just one. I don't want to have

four different cards i want one card right i would not remember to do that i would probably lose them like i need it to be easier than that right but i need to pull up my tickets for the eurostar for example on my phone so what am i going to do saly is a really good option so guys saly is our sponsor and we've arranged an exclusive deal just for the all ears english audience you can get an exclusive 15 discount on saly data plans by using the code a e e at checkout

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okay good yes aubry where to next i feel like we've you know we've talked a little bit about these scams is there anything else our listeners need to know here yeah just kind of overall right we shared kind of what types of phishing it could be bank scammers trying to get your bank information or social media using social media to trick you but not only can you use saly for example but

Also, be suspicious, right? We've shared all of these different types of scams. The more you're aware, the more you can be suspicious and verify information. If ever I see a text from my bank, I never click on that. I call my bank and ask if they texted me. Yeah, they don't text you unless you prompt a text for a code to log in. They don't text you. I mean, that's what they say when they text you the code to log in, right? They say, we never text you unsolicited. Right.

Exactly. So if ever there's a text or an email, it's better just to go to their website, call through their contact information. Don't ever click those links. Definitely. And use good passwords. You know, there are password programs you can use like LastPass or 1Password, I think it's called. These are a good idea because then you can actually create a stronger password.

password, right? You're not going to have like your dog's name or something. It's going to be a lot more complex. That's the thing because if you have to remember all your passwords or if you're using the same one for everything, you are at risk. So if you can use strong passwords, a secure software that can help you keep track of them, that's going to improve your security.

Yes, an MFA, multi-factor authentication. Your company should require this on a lot of logins, but if not, then you should set that up yourself, right? Where it forces you to either use an app where it gives you a code or it forces you at the very least to send you a text message with a code, right?

right right you're logging into a bank um app right it's really smart to have that uh multi-factor authentication i love it and then watching out for those unpredictable yeah cafes airports um wherever else we might be working even co-working spaces we just want to be aware of this stuff right exactly right use saly instead so then you don't have to worry about it exactly so aubry what is our takeaway for today's episode

Yeah, I think it is so vital that you can recognize and avoid scams, right? This is a global problem. So you've definitely seen these in your first language, definitely also exists in English. You want to protect yourself with today's tips. I love it. So guys, one more time, get the exclusive 15% discount on Saley data plans and use the code A-E-E when you check out. You can also download the Saley app. Just go straight to saley.com slash A-E-E. That's S-A-L-E.

I-L-Y dot com slash A-E-E. All right. Good. Awesome. Yes. I'm excited for you guys to not fall for scams. All right. Sounds good. Great stuff today. And I'll see you on here very soon. Take care. See you next time. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye.

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