According to a study, fraud scams not only represent a lasting challenge for many, but also lead to permanent stress. However, that doesn’t have to be the case.
Spam messages are becoming increasingly difficult to identify. (Source: Rawpixel/depositphotos.com)
- A study shows how much stress spam messages cause in our everyday lives.
- Respondents would rather self-flagellate than deal with the issue.
- Stress can be counteracted with the right approach.
Whether we like it or not, spam messages have long been an integral part of our everyday lives. We receive an average of ten fraud attempts per day, be it via SMS, email or on social media. This constant subconscious burden cannot easily be passed over by us. To find out how scams impact consumers’ lives, security experts at McAfee surveyed 7,000 respondents from seven countries.
This not only makes it clear that many users are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of spam messages and would rather be pushed away than face them. According to McAfee, 45 percent of respondents would rather submit their taxes every month than deal with fraudulent messages all year long. 47 percent go so far as to say they would rather get a root canal than deal with the paperwork of identity theft.
With this type of self-flagellation, it can be concluded that spam messages drive up the stress level in our everyday lives. The fact that many people don’t seem to know how to deal with spam messages contributes to this fact. According to the study, 43 percent of respondents do not know whether they are taking the right measures to protect against fraud. Only 14 percent report the scams. Of course, this isn’t absolutely necessary, but this way you can also protect other potential victims.
Counteract the stress
Yes, spam messages and the issue of data protection are annoying. But once you really deal with the matter, you don’t have to worry about it every day. Even though it is becoming increasingly difficult with the use of AI, phishing emails can still be distinguished from real messages. Watch out for dubious competitions, avoid unknown contacts and definitely do not click on suspicious links.
You can make it even easier by using an antivirus program. Many applications catch spam messages before you see them. This works not only on the computer, but also on the smartphone.
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