"Ignoring" can be your digital lifesaver—but only if you do it right.

Last Sunday: I'm sitting with my coffee, my phone on the table – when suddenly it vibrates. A WhatsApp message. From a Peruvian number, no contact saved, but with a company logo and labeled "Company Profile."

"Attached you will find the proof of payment that settles the outstanding invoice. Thank you."

Below is a file:

📎 INVOICE.pdf – also in German: RECHNUNG.pdf

🧠 But my first thought was not:

“Did I forget something?”

But immediately:

“Oh, that’s dangerous.”

Because I have a trained eye – and I saw it in the first second:

• The number was unknown

• She came from abroad

• The text was vague (general, unclear) and impersonal

• The file looked like a PDF, but was actually an .html file (a web page, not a document)

And that’s exactly the trick:

Criminals aren't trying to persuade you—they're trying to get you to click out of curiosity. "Let's see what the PDF says," some people might think.

📌 What would have happened if I had clicked on it?

The .html file would have opened in the browser (web application like Safari, Chrome, or Firefox) – on your mobile phone or PC. And then?

• A fake site might have asked me to enter my email address or bank details.

• Or she tried to put a malicious program ( malware ) on my device.

• Or tricked me into entering login details (username + password) using a so-called phishing form (fake input form that steals data).

A single click – and the damage would be real.

🧠 Why didn't I open it?

Because I have learned over the years that the most important protection in everyday digital life is not an antivirus program – but something much simpler and more important :

Deliberate ignoring.

But be careful: ignoring is not always ignoring. That's where the crux of the matter lies.

🚦 There are two kinds of “ignoring” – and only one is good

✅ 1. Healthy ignoring: This protects you

👉 You receive a message from an unknown number👉 With vague information like "payment," "invoice," or "confirmation"👉 An unexpected file is attached👉 You don't know the sender—and you haven't ordered anything👉 It says something about .html (an internet file, not an invoice)

➡️ Ignoring is the right reflex here.

Because: Your curiosity is exactly what scammers rely on.

They know that you:

• want to be polite • don't want to miss anything • just want to take a quick look

We Swiss in particular – a very polite people – are a particularly worthwhile target group here.

But it is precisely this behavior that leads directly into the trap.

❌ 2. Dangerous ignoring: This harms you

The other side of the problem: We often ignore the wrong things.

For example:

• A genuine warning message from your bank: "Unknown login attempt." • An important security update (a software update that closes gaps) on your phone • A message from your email platform: "Your password may have been compromised" (compromised = become insecure, possibly stolen) • A request to activate your two-factor authentication (an additional security check when logging in)

➡️ Reaction would be important here.

But many ignore it – out of convenience, insecurity, or "because it's not convenient right now." And that is precisely the more dangerous form of ignorance (disregard).

🇨🇭 And for us in Switzerland it is clear:

Important things almost always come by mail.

• Enforcement proceedings

• Tax assessments

• Invoices from authorities

• Official announcements

👉 If it's really urgent , you'll get a letter , not a WhatsApp message from Peru.

And even if you're sued, you can react, file an objection, and seek advice. But if it's fraud, your money is often gone. And no one will help you anymore.

🎯 Conclusion: “I just look quickly” can be expensive

The biggest security risk is not your mobile phone or your PC – but the impulse in your head that says:

"I just want to know what it is."

So instead train:

• The inner brake

• Healthy ignoring

• The ability to distinguish between real danger and real responsibility

🛡 Tips for your digital gut feeling

❌ Unknown number? Don't answer.

❌ File attachment? Only open it when you expect it.

❌ Strange language or impersonal? Probably automated (generated by a computer).

✅ Updates? Do it now.

✅ Warnings from genuine services? Check – but not via links, but directly on the official website.

✅ Unsure? Ask someone who knows – or visit itgenossen.ch .

💬 My message to you

We no longer live in a time where we automatically respond to every message. We can—and must—learn to consciously ignore it.

But not everything. And not everywhere.

Ignoring one protects you. Ignoring the other puts you in danger.

Practice the difference. Talk to those around you about it. And pass on this knowledge.

Because digital security doesn’t start with the device – it starts in the mind.

🗣 One more small addendum – the topic of calls:

Oh yes – and while we’re on the subject: You can also simply cancel calls from unknown numbers – even if you have already answered – as soon as you feel:

This is just nonsense, or the feeling is simply wrong.

Then just hang up.

This rule is very simple:

If you keep talking, it will only get worse.

You are not responsible. And no one has the right to steal your time.

So, hang up. Period.

📣 The best tips & tricks on how to deal with advertising calls etc. will be available soon in a new blog post.