Identity & Impersonation scams

Question 1

A caller claims to be from your mobile provider and asks you to disclose a verification code sent to your phone. What is the primary risk of sharing it?

Verification codes can be used to authorize sensitive account actions.

The caller may use the code to complete an unauthorized account action Your mobile data speed may decrease Your phone battery may drain faster Your screen brightness may change

Question 2

A person claiming to be technical support asks you to install a remote-access application so they can fix a security problem on your account. What should you do?

Consider what access the requested software could give an unknown person.

Install it but close your banking applications first Install it if the caller knows your customer ID Install it only while you watch the screen Refuse and contact the company through its independently verified official support channel

Question 3

Which behavior is most characteristic of an impersonation scam?

Focus on deception involving identity and trust.

Changing the brightness of a device Compressing files before sending them Installing a legitimate operating-system update Pretending to be a trusted person or organization to manipulate someone

Question 4

You discover an unfamiliar device logged into your social media account. What should you do?

Consider how to remove unauthorized access and prevent the account from being used to impersonate you.

Delete your profile photograph Ignore it unless someone reports receiving strange messages Post publicly asking the unknown user to log out Secure the account, remove unauthorized sessions, change the password, and review authentication settings

Question 5

A scammer has learned information about your workplace, relatives, and recent holiday from your public social media posts. How could this information be used?

Personal context can make a fabricated story sound more believable.

It can only be used if you approve a friend request It cannot be useful without your password Only to improve social media recommendations To create a more convincing impersonation or social-engineering attack

Question 6

Someone claiming to represent a government department sends you a photograph of an official-looking ID card as proof of identity. Should the image alone be trusted?

Consider how easily digital documents and images can be copied or altered.

No, verify the person or request independently through the department's official channels Yes, if the card contains a government logo Yes, if the photograph on the card matches their messaging profile Yes, official ID cards cannot be copied

Question 7

Why do impersonation scammers often create a sense of urgency?

Think about what happens when someone feels they have no time to check a request.

Because banks require all transactions to be completed immediately Because urgent messages are automatically encrypted To encourage victims to act before verifying the situation To improve internet connection speed

Question 8

Why can oversharing personal information publicly make impersonation scams more convincing?

Think about how specific personal details affect the credibility of a fabricated story.

Public information automatically reveals every password Public profiles automatically disable account security Scammers can use those details to create personalized and believable stories Social media automatically transfers money to scammers

Question 9

A caller's caller ID displays the name of your bank. Does this prove the call actually originated from your bank?

Consider whether information displayed on your phone can always be trusted as identity proof.

No, caller ID can be manipulated or spoofed Yes, but only during banking hours Yes, caller ID always verifies the organization Yes, if the caller also knows your name

Question 10

You receive an email from someone claiming to be your company's CEO requesting a confidential emergency bank transfer. What should you do before processing it?

High-impact financial requests should follow established verification procedures.

Process half of the requested amount Process it quickly because senior executives have authority Reply to the email and ask the sender to confirm Verify the request through established company procedures and a trusted channel

Question 11

A fake profile impersonating you starts messaging your contacts and requesting money. What should you do?

Think about limiting harm, alerting potential targets, and reporting the impersonation.

Create another fake profile to message the impersonator Ignore it because your contacts will recognize the fake profile Report the fake profile and warn your contacts through trusted channels Send money to the fake account to discover who owns it

Question 12

A scammer impersonates a senior executive and instructs an employee to bypass the company's normal payment approval process because the transaction is 'strictly confidential.' What should the employee do?

Security procedures are especially important when someone asks you to bypass them.

Follow established payment verification and escalation procedures Follow the instruction because senior executives can override all security controls Make the payment and document it afterward Send a smaller payment without approval

Question 13

A supposed customer-care representative asks for the OTP that just arrived on your phone to 'verify your identity.' What should you do?

Authentication codes can authorize actions on your account.

Do not share it and independently contact the service through an official channel Forward the OTP message to the representative instead Share it because customer care needs to verify customers Share only the first half of the OTP

Question 14

An email appears to come from a familiar company, but the sender address contains a subtle misspelling of the company's domain name. What does this suggest?

Small changes in sender addresses can be used to imitate trusted organizations.

It may be an impersonation or phishing attempt using a lookalike domain The company has automatically created a backup domain The email is safe if the company logo looks correct The misspelling proves the email was encrypted

Question 15

You receive a WhatsApp message from an unfamiliar number claiming to be your brother. He says his phone is damaged and urgently needs money transferred to a new bank account. What should you do first?

Verify the person's identity using a communication method you already trust.

Ask the sender to send another text message confirming their name Call your brother using his previously known phone number or another trusted method Transfer a small amount first to confirm the account works Transfer the money because it is an emergency