First Line of Defense – Battling the Fraudsters

Protecting your credentials in this phase is crucial as the fraudsters tend to trespass in this pandemic, where every other individual is going for online purchases. In the banking sector, one must be very much aware that no banks will ask you for a pin or ask you to revert on a mail or call back. In all cases bank always redirects you to the banking site and helps you out. Also, it’s always better to have a password for both card and non-card transactions which needn’t be shared with anyone. Banks will not send any link either to view the statement or for any transaction related queries and, such cases must be reported.

We are bound to get emails in this chaos regarding the range of masks or maybe regarding the sanitizers or hygiene kits. As we know there are many established chains of the supplier in the market and, we have established shopping sites. Hence, one needs not to be fooled by this email phishing and go about buying things from unknown suppliers. There might be sites mailed to you or sent via WhatsApp or text message stating that one must click the link to en-cash the benefits from the government in this pandemic. This link can be created by any Fraudsters seeking personal information. 

Individuals who are quite active on social media especially youngsters must keep a check if the account is private or public and if the account is public, utmost care must be taken concerning the personal details. Usually, if the account is hacked by a fraudsters or if there is a login from another device the social media app will immediately notify you. But if the log in just needs some of your personal information to confirm your login and its available on the public platform it’s not a tough job to hack your account. Updating the mobile number in social media is not merely important as this will invite unwanted incoming tension. Also, a person committing a crime might claim for the dummy sim card using the mobile number, and the phone number put up on social media. For youngsters posting their pictures on social media is a trend to impress the peer and, this will further give access to your image to any fraudster to play up and blackmail, because editing a photo and defaming the individual not an impossible task anymore. While on a tour post the travel details will alarm the burglars that it’s the right time for a theft. Also put up the full picture of the boarding pass is far too risky as the boarding pass will have detailed personal information. In a darker scenario, people are running a business of collecting the disposed of the boarding pass and selling it to a third party. 

As the world is increasingly interconnected, everyone shares the responsibility of securing cyberspace – Newton Lee