Danger Zones
Things to Look Out For
Requests for information - particularly personal information such as credit card details, address, online banking login information, etc. should be treated with extreme caution. Fraudsters use all manner of tricks to steal your information in order to use it to commit crime. Watch out for:
- Unsolicited emails that ask you to reveal your banking details, online passwords, credit card or other personal information. Do not reply, fill out any forms or follow any of the instructions specified regardless of how genuine it may seem. This is Phishing. These emails may seem as though they have come from your bank or another reputable source. They may claim that your account has been compromised, and that action is required. They may contain attachments which if opened could also infect your computer with Malware. Protect yourself. You should also be wary of bogus letters asking for similar details.
- Unsolicited phone calls that ask you to reveal your banking details, online passwords, credit card or other personal information. This is Vishing. Protect yourself.
- Unexpected internet Pop-ups offering prizes or special deals - close them immediately by clicking on the x button on the top corner of the window - don't click on any links.
- Signs that your computer might be infected with Malware - these are not always easy to see, but you may have contracted a computer virus if the following symptoms are evident:
- Pop-up ads appear, even offline, often for 'adult' sites
- Your homepage/search settings unexpectedly change
- Your browser toolbar changes and is hard to restore
- System performance deteriorates unexpectedly
- Identity Theft - warning signs to be on the lookout for could include
- You receive letters from Solicitors or Debt Collectors for debts that aren't yours
- You receive bills or invoices for goods or services you haven't ordered
- You are refused a financial service (such as a Credit Card or a Loan) despite having a good credit history
- You are billed for a mobile phone contract (or similar) that has been set up in your name without your knowledge
- Unauthorised transactions on your bank account or credit card
Areas to Tread Carefully
- Downloading files - software, music, etc. This can be risky if your computer isn't fully protected by up to date Security Software, as downloaded files may be infected or may be accompanied by Malware programmes. Be especially vigilant when using peer-to-peer or file-sharing networks - these effectively open your PC to users worldwide. Your PC, if unprotected, is very likely to be compromised by assorted malware when using these networks. Protect yourself
- Public access computers - Be extra careful when using public access computers, particularly when browsing the Internet to perform any type of personal transaction which requires the input of confidential personal information. Just logging onto a website may give away passwords and other private information if that computer has been infected with Spyware or Key loggers.
- Buying and selling online - It's not always easy to tell who's at the other end of an online transaction when you hand over your credit card number. Be wary of exceptional offers - if the price is too good to be true, it usually is. Some things to be wary of when transacting online:
- Bogus travel agents selling flights at reduced cost (often purchased using a stolen credit card)
- Requests to transfer a portion of the purchase price to an unknown (and fictitious) 'independent third party' to hold until the (non-existent) goods are delivered.
- Fraudulent purchasers may send a draft for an amount in excess of a purchase price and ask for a refund by transfer, sometimes claiming it as commission or refund of shipping costs. The 'refund' is lost by the time the original cheque bounces, with sellers sometimes left with no goods and also out of pocket by the amount of the 'refund'.
- Similarly, a holiday booking scam can involve a payment by cheque followed by immediate booking cancellation and a request to return the funds by transfer, less a portion of the funds 'for inconvenience/administration cost'. And the initial cheque is subsequently found to be worthless.
- If looking to rent a property, be careful about handing over money or ID. Fraudsters have been known to advertise an apartment and request a deposit and rent in advance for properties that are not theirs to let. ID provided as part of the arrangement can also be used for further fraudulent activity.
- See Protect yourself - buying online.