Zalo messages, Messenger, and photos that cybersecurity experts advise you to delete immediately

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Photos and documents to delete from phone

CCCD/ID Card Photos : These types of documents contain important personal data. If the phone is lost or the photos are leaked, bad guys can take advantage of the information to open bank accounts, borrow money or commit other fraudulent acts, causing many serious consequences.

Photo of bank card : Saving photo of bank card on your phone is very dangerous. If your phone is stolen, the thief can easily transfer money from your account or make other fraudulent transactions.

Driver's license photo : Driver's licenses contain information such as name, identification number and address, which can be used to compromise identity or create problems for users when leaked.

Password photos or password notes : Saving passwords as unsecured photos (without encryption or without using a password manager app) can lead to account exposure if the phone is accessed without authorization.

Photo of home address : If your phone stores your home address, bad guys can track your schedule, determine when you're away, or gain unauthorized access to your home.

Sensitive message content photos : Sensitive private photos, photos containing information such as bank accounts, card numbers... can be exploited for fraud or identity theft purposes.

Screenshots : iPhone automatically saves screenshots to a separate album, which is easy to forget. However, these photos may contain passwords, financial data, or other sensitive information, making them a potential target for cybercriminals. Users should periodically delete them and remember to clean up the "Recently Deleted" folder to ensure the photos are permanently deleted.

Messages to delete immediately

Messages with shortened or unknown links : Shortened links can lead to malicious websites or spyware. The FBI warns that you should delete these messages even if you haven't opened them to avoid having your personal or financial information stolen.

Messages containing sensitive personal information : Messages containing ID cards, passwords, OTP codes, bank account numbers... can be used by criminals to commit fraud.

Message containing login information (Username/Password) : If not encrypted, this message can become a target when the phone is stolen or hacked.

Bank, company spoofing messages : These messages ask you to provide personal information or click on malicious links. Storing these messages can make you vulnerable to being misled and accessing them later.

Messages containing bank account or transaction information : These messages contain account numbers, card numbers, or transaction histories, which are extremely sensitive data that can be exploited if accessed illegally.

According to cybersecurity experts from well-known organizations/websites such as Tech Safety Project and Wired, it is necessary to immediately and thoroughly delete such messages, both on devices and cloud accounts to avoid storing personal data. To minimize the risk of unauthorized access, Wired recommends periodically deleting chats, especially old conversations stored on the cloud or platforms such as Messenger.

Hien Thao

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/cong-nghe/-nhung-tin-nhan-zalo-messenger-kieu-anh-chuyen-gia-an-ninh-mang-khuyen-ban-xoa-ngay/20250901034811005