Scams on the internet used to be like the bad guy in a low-budget kids’ show. You could see the bad man coming a mile away and were undoubtedly more entertained than scared. Recollect the Nigerian prince who pressed on sending in your private details in exchange for a legacy? Or the email informing you that you’d won a big lottery? You only have to put in your bank account numbers to receive your prize. How charming. It’s nearly cute.
On the other hand, today’s con artists have matured and are downright terrifying. That’s why staying up to date on the latest and greatest in cybercrime is a good idea. In what ways could you be duped shortly? If you aren’t careful, you can get hurt in various ways.
Any financial organization that wants you to take a selfie with your ID should be avoided.
As per an expert, this is a malware tactic found in the previous few months. He claims that malware (malicious software) has emerged in Hong Kong and Singapore. It tries to fool computer users into shooting a selfie with their ID, which is the worst kind of personal detail for a criminal to possess.
And while this may sound similar to the Nigerian prince and lottery fraud, the expert claims that once downloaded, the virus will remain inactive and will not ask for financial data until you conduct some internet transactions and are likely to be asked some questions. Even though one would expect that most people would think twice before taking a photo with their driver’s license (even if they believe their bank is requesting it). It’s easy to imagine that many people would reply to more fundamental questions, such as “What is your mom’s maiden name?”
USB sticks should be treated with caution.
These data storage devices, also known as USB flash drives, can be used to back up data and download software, a Presentation, a video game, recipes, and practically anything else you can think of. However, whereas most USB sticks and flash drives are entirely safe to use, he claims that Intel Security’s technicians have discovered ransomware on USB sticks.
Ransomware is a sort of software that, once installed, will shut down your computer. You won’t be able to view any of your files unless you pay the hacker who had sent you the malware a monetary payment. According to industry experts, cybercrime is on the rise, affecting people and school systems, hospitals, and corporations. Consider how many times you’ve plugged a USB drive into your computer. Many people use things regularly without thinking twice.
Scams involving Google Voice should be avoided.
This specific scam was recently attempted on Jayne Hitchcock. Hitchcock, the author of “Cyberbullying & The Wild, Wild Web: What Everyone Needs To Know,” included her mobile number on a Craigslist ad she filed in the hopes of selling a stack of books she no longer needed. Instead, she got a text from a contact number she didn’t recognize soon after the ad went up. She looked up the number on Google and discovered nothing negative, so she responded.
“Then I got a call from Washington, D.C. area code with a recorded female voice telling me it was Google Voice and to input the two-digit code I received which I received the very next second,” Hitchcock continues.
That raised Hitchcock’s suspicions, so she responded and encouraged him to contact her from the telephone number he was messaging if he wasn’t a fraud. She adds that she didn’t hear from the caller ever again.
So, what exactly was the issue? What harm would it have done if Hitchcock had entered the two-digit code?
Hitchcock adds, “They take your contact details and use it as a routing number to scam other people.” However, she adds that getting your phone number back may be such a nuisance that some individuals don’t bother and cancel it.
Avoid emails that contain YouTube.com URLs.
According to another expert, no one needs to be informed that YouTube is a hugely popular website, and con artists are taking advantage of its attraction to people of all ages. Crooks, she claims, may occasionally send customers emails linked to a YouTube video. Or, at the very least, it appears to lead to a YouTube video. “You’re taken to a fraudulent page that looks exactly like the real one,” she says, “but here you’re urged to sign in, and doing so will give the fraudster access to your account.”
She cites the following as a critical indicator that you have a problem: “When you arrive, double-check the address bar to ensure it has YouTube.com. It’s not YouTube if it starts with another word, such as Another word-YouTube.com.”
According to the expert, these cyber methods will only become worse. “Earlier, location had mattered,” he explains. As a thief you would require to go to a bank and loot the money which is highly risky with the dangers of being caught. Hence, the reason cybercrime has become appealing to the fraudsters. It is not dangerous for the bad people, and it is difficult to catch them, especially if they are from another country. So it’s a market that’s on the rise.”