As a mortgage broker, you handle sensitive information every day. You help your clients finance their homes, and you are responsible for keeping their personal and financial information secure. However, there are scammers out there who are trying to take advantage of you and your clients. You need to be aware of email phishing and text smishing scams.

Email phishing is a fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information by disguising oneself as a trustworthy entity. You might receive an email that looks like it’s from a legitimate source, but it contains spelling mistakes, and it’s not addressed to you personally. The email may ask you to confirm personal or security details or to click on a link that takes you to a fake website. This website could then infect your device with a virus.

Text smishing is similar to email phishing, but it occurs via text message. The scammer sends you a text message that looks like it’s from a legitimate source, such as your bank or a government agency. The message may ask you to confirm personal or security details or to click on a link that takes you to a fake website.

To protect yourself and your clients from these scams, you need to be aware of the warning signs. If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t click on any links or provide any personal information. Make sure that your device auto locks and activate the Find My Phone feature so that you can find, lock, and erase your device remotely if you lose it.

It’s also essential to have the right privacy settings in place. Use reputable websites such as Takefive-stopfraud.org.uk, Actionfraud.police.uk, and Moneyadviceservice.org.uk to search for the latest information and advice on how to protect yourself and your clients from scams.