Norton releases Phictionary to make it easier to identify the latest scams

Cyber safety leader Norton has released a dictionary of phishing attacks that can help people more easily identify fraudulent emails and text messages.

The Norton Phictionary provides real life examples of scams and phishing attacks that have been responsible for two thirds of all cyber-attacks globally.

New scams have become even harder to detect since cybercriminals started using AI and other new technologies.

As a result they are claiming an alarming number of victims – before these scams become known to the wider community.

The Norton Phictionary has been created to provide an educational approach to detecting phishing attacks and educating users on how scams may present themselves.

“Consumers are at the centre of modern-day cybercrime. Today, attacks that abuse flaws in the human psyche are outnumbering attacks targeting flaws in software and systems, and this means the approach to cyber safety needs to change,” said Michal Pechoucek, Chief Technology Officer at Gen.

“It is no longer enough to protect only our devices; we must protect the individual from all forms of online manipulation that intend to steal personal information or spread malware.

“Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a huge role in this, but so does the human factor of online safety through education.

“We created Phictionary as part of our ongoing efforts to inform people about the latest developments in cybercrime, and hope that it will help to alleviate human error to improve online safety.”

Fishing can take numerous forms including delivery scams, tax scams and fake offers.

Phictionary highlights the most common attacks used today and presents them in dictionary form.

Here are some examples from Phictionary that have been detected and blocked by Norton.

– Account Suspension alert əˈkaʊnt səˈspɛnʃən /verb 1. A fake message addressed to an individual asking them to complete account recovery within a specific time period otherwise it will result in permanent suspension. We temporarily place your Ρaурal suspended, To restore follow instruction below. <|url|> Please complete the recovery within 2 days otherwise Ρaурal account permanently suspended. We are sorry for any inconvenience has caused. Thank you for your attention.

– Delivery Mishap alert dɪˈlɪvəri mɪsˌhæps / verb 1. A fraudulent message faking an attempted delivery designed to extract personal information from the target. Our driver attempted to deliver your shipment today but no one was home. To reschedule a new delivery date, visit: <|url|>

– Tax Scam tæks skæm / noun 1. A spoof message masked as a revenue or customs company. myGov: Your income return of [amount] could not be processed due to insufficient information supplied please update immediately at <|url|>

The Norton Phictionary also includes the key characteristics of phishing scams for people to learn and refer to should they come across a phishing attack.

Phictionary can be downloaded from https://au.norton.com/blog/online-scams/phictionary now.