Don’t Be A Victim, Watch Out For Fraudsters

Don’t Be A Victim, Watch out for Fraudsters

Cyber criminals are all around us, lurking in silence trying to steal your money and information. You may be contacted via email, social media, voice call or text message. Next, they’ll attempt to get you to reveal information such as usernames, passwords, other banking details or even personal details. Even trivial information can be pieced together to make it appear as though they know you, and then trick you or your loved ones to believe that their request is genuine.

People are driven by fear during a crisis such as the pandemic and become more susceptible to tactics employed by cyber criminals. Typically, these cyber criminals will create a sense of worry and urgency to get you to do something e.g. transferring money to an unknown source, revealing or submitting information, clicking on malicious links or opening attachments which may infect your personal devices.

Be on your guard, protect yourself and your loved ones against cyber criminals

How can you stay cybersafe? Here are some tips that might be useful: 

Always Spot, Stop and Report.

Spot the warning signs

• Always check the identity of the person who has contacted you, to confirm that you’re not dealing with an impersonator.
• Look out for signs to ensure you’re not reading a phishing email. There will be something that doesn’t sound right. Never click on any links or attachments if you’re unsure.
• Ensure the recipient’s email address is correct before clicking ‘send’ or verify sender’s email address is legitimate before clicking on links or attachments
• Be on the alert for fraud attempts, e.g. upfront payment schemes, get rich quick tactics, donation requests, winning the lottery or contests and fake SMS alerts
• Remember: no government bodies or legitimate organisations will ask you for your password.

Stop cyber criminals’ activity

• When making a fund transfer, ensure that all bank account details matches your record.
• Always use a strong password and never share it with anyone. No one should know your password or PIN number. For password security, it is recommended to use a passphrase of 8 digit length, combination of upper lower case, numerical and symbol e.g. T3chn%logy.
• Connect to secure and trusted Wi-Fi networks only.
• Regularly clear your cache and cookies on your personal devices.
• Be conscious of what you share on social media or who you add as a friend, they may not be who they claim to be.

Report the incident

If you suspect of any fraud or account has been compromised, report it to your bank immediately.

Your vigilance is the best defence against cyber attacks. Keep yourself well-informed about cyber security best practices: https://www.sc.com/global/security-tips/.

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