Safe online - how to protect yourself from phishing / fraud

Your security is our top priority! It is therefore important to keep an eye on the fact that fraudsters are constantly developing new methods to obtain personal data. One of these fraud methods is phishing.

What is phishing?

Phishing is a cybercriminal method in which fraudsters try to obtain personal data, such as payment information, passwords or addresses, through fake emails, text messages, websites or social media accounts. Some of these phishing messages and accounts can look deceptively genuine and are therefore not always recognizable as fakes at first glance.

Have you received a suspicious message?

Have you received a message that you're not sure is really from us? These tips will help you protect yourself against phishing and recognize fake messages:

1. Check the sender

We only send emails from addresses ending in @fotokoch.lt. On social networks, we only communicate via our official channels on Instagram @fotokochde, Facebook /fotokoch, YouTube /fotokoch and Pinterest /fotokoch/.

2. Check the content

We share important information primarily and first on our homepage and our official social media channels. In addition, we will never contact you unsolicited and without explicit consent and never ask you to enter sensitive data outside our store, such as passwords, bank details or access data to bank accounts.

3. Never reply to a suspicious message

Have you received a suspicious message? Then you should never reply to it - especially not if you are asked to enter sensitive data.

4. Do not click on any links or open any attachments

If a message seems suspicious, don't click on any links it contains! Especially not if the linked Internet address contains unusual combinations of numbers and/or characters. You should also always be careful with attachments that you are not expecting!

5. Don't let yourself be put under pressure

From the imminent blocking of your account to the signing of urgent forms: Many scammers deliberately aim to arouse fear or uncertainty with their messages and thus persuade the recipients of the messages to take rash action. Don't let yourself be rattled

As a general rule, it's better to be too suspicious than not suspicious enough. So don't hesitate to contact us if you are unsure - we will be happy to help you!

What you should do in the event of a phishing attempt!

Have you received a phishing message? Then you should do the following:

1. Report the phishing attempt and press charges

Phishing is an attempt to defraud - and therefore a criminal offense that you should report to the policeand, if necessary, file a criminal complaint. You should therefore not delete the fraudulent message. It will serve as evidence in an emergency. Also contact the company in whose name the phishing message was sent so that they can also take action and file a complaint.

2. Act quickly and with foresight

If you have inadvertently clicked on a suspicious link or opened an attachment, be sure to change your login details and check your account for suspicious activity - ideally on a different device.

3. Secure your electronic devices

Good antivirus software is always a good idea. You should always keep it up to date and regularly scan for Trojans and malware. Consult an expert if you are unsure.

Take care of your data and stay safe!

What can you do against phishing/fraud emails?

Photographers often have publicly visible email addresses, which can be collected by bots, so-called web scrapers, by entering the email address in the imprint (mandatory), the contact form or your social media account. If these bots can collect your data and contact you later, there are various ways to prevent this:

1. Encrypt your email address

If you use a CMS system such as Wordpress, you can, for example, use a plugin that makes your email address unreadable (encode) for this type of web scraper. A good example is the following plugin: Email Address Encoder, in order for the tool to work properly, you may need to use and install the appropriate shortcodes.

If you don't want to use a plugin, you can also insert a screenshot of your email, as the bot's scripts usually search for an "@" sign.

2. Please let us know if you receive these emails

Of course, we do not receive emails from scammers acting on our behalf, so please send us your email and ask if it is a legitimate email from our company.

3. Check whether your email is for sale as a record

It can also happen that other companies have sold your data and the data sets are offered on the web, in this case you can enter your e-mail address on the website haveibeenpwned.com and check whether your e-mail has been leaked elsewhere. A German alternative is the tool of the University of Bonn: Leakchecker Uni Bonn, your result will be sent to you by e-mail.