Key Terms Explained
Advance Fee Fraud occurs when people are persuaded to advance sums of money in the hope of gaining a much larger sum. Recent variations have seen claims by alleged members of staff of a bank who seek assistance to steal substantial sums of monies from dormant accounts. The information contained in the email is totally bogus; the sender is attempting to defraud the recipient. Do not respond to these emails. Forward them to the relevant internet service provider (e.g. abuse@hotmail.com or abuse@yahoo.co.uk, etc) and notify an Garda Siochana/Police.
Adware. Adware comes from the words Advertising and Software. Most adware is harmless although some can be annoying and difficult to remove - some can be malicious and designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system - see Malware.
Bin diving. Bin diving is when someone goes looking through other people's rubbish for items that can be used or sold. While in a lot of circumstances bin divers do not specifically target a home owner's personal confidential information, it is becoming an increasing technique for criminals to commit crimes such as identity theft and fraud. Shredding confidential documents before placing them in your bin is essential to counteract this growing phenomenon.
Boiler Room fraud. Overseas companies (usually unauthorised) make unsolicited contact and offer to sell shares which are about to 'go through the roof', or they may invite you to invest further monies to capitalise on 'inside' information.
Browser Encryption. Internet communications are not secure unless the data is encrypted. This allows for the transfer of digitally signed certificates for authentication procedures and provides message integrity, so that information cannot be tampered with in transit.
Digital Certificates. The digital certificate is a common credential that's used to authenticate identity. Certification Authority will issue a certificate only after verifying the identity of an organisation or an individual.
Firewalls. The banks systems are protected at multiple layers with cutting edge information security technologies. A firewall verifies the source and destination of each connection attempt, allowing only legitimate traffic access to a predefined list of services. All other traffic is denied before it ever reaches the bank's systems.
Fraudulent Pop-Ups. Pop-up windows are the small windows or ads that appear suddenly over or under the window you are currently viewing. Fraudulent pop-up windows are a type of online fraud often used to obtain personal information with a view to conducting illegal transactions on your account. 365 online does not use pop-up windows to request your account information. We will never display a pop-up window on our site that is not user initiated by you clicking on a link.
Pop-up windows are often the result of programs installed on your computer called "adware" or "spyware." These programs look in on your Web viewing activity and regularly come hidden inside many free downloads, such as music-sharing software or screen savers. Many of these programs enable harmless advertisements, but some contain "Trojan horse" programs that can record your keystrokes or relay other information to an unauthorised source. Any unsolicited requests for account information you receive through pop-up windows should be considered fraudulent and reported immediately.
Identity theft. Identity theft refers to fraud that involves stealing money or getting other benefits by pretending to be someone else.
Key-loggers. Key loggers are a type of Malware that are designed to record information input to a computer through a user's keyboard - such as Login/PIN details. This malware can record and transmit confidential information to a fraudster.
Lottery Fraud. A scam involving victims being contacted by email advising them that they have won the lottery. No ticket purchase was necessary - according to the scammers. The victim is encouraged to pay a fee before the 'winning' lottery cheque is handed over.
Malware. Malware comes from the words Malicious and Software, and is designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner's informed consent. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware and other malicious and unwanted software. See Spyware.
Money Mules (job vacancies). Money mules are people recruited by criminals to help transfer fraudulently obtained money from bank accounts. Fraudsters contact prospective victims with 'job vacancy' adverts on the internet, on job search websites or in newspapers. These jobs are usually advertised as 'Financial Manager' or 'Payments Clerk' with no other requirement than having a bank account. The mule accepts the 'job' in good faith and does not suspect that they are being duped into involvement in criminal activity. Once recruited a Money mule receives stolen funds into their account, followed by a request to forward the funds, minus their commission, usually overseas, using a wire transfer service.
Pharming. Pharming is the term for when criminal hackers redirect Internet traffic from one Web site to a different, identical-looking site in order to trick you into entering your user name and password into the database on their fake site. Criminals try to acquire your personal information in order to access your bank account, steal your identity, or commit other kinds of fraud in your name, so banking and similar financial sites are often the targets of these attacks.
Phishing. Phishing scams often rely on placing links in e-mail messages, on Web sites, or in instant messages that seem to come from a service that you trust. They often include official-looking logos and convincing details about your personal information. They generally ask for personal data, or direct you to a Website or to call a phone number where you will be asked to provide personal data.
Secure Browser. A secure browser means you can send and receive messages using technology which encrypts the information so it's virtually impossible for anyone other than you and the Bank to read it. Use an internet browser that has SSL encryption version 3.0 or higher to conduct secure transactions over the internet. Netscape Navigator, Netscape Communicator, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox are all examples of browsers that employ Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to communicate with appropriately configured servers.
Secure Socket Layer (SSL)/Secure Browsing. SSL is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remains private and integral. SSL is an industry standard and is used by millions of websites in the protection of their online transactions with their customers. The complexities of the SSL protocol remain invisible to the user. Instead your browser provides you with a key indicator to let them know you are currently protected by an SSL encrypted session - the lock icon in the lower right-hand corner, clicking on the lock icon displays your SSL Certificate and the details about it. Alternatively check the web address that you have accessed. If you are in a secure area, the address will appear as https://www. Notice the "s" in the address. This means that you have accessed a secure server using an encrypted connection.
Security Software. Security software is software designed to sweep your computer system and identify and remove Malware. Security software can include anti-virus software and pop-up blockers, etc. Check with your PC provider for a recommended Security Software package to suit your computer.
Skimming. Skimming is the theft of credit card information used in an otherwise legitimate transaction. It is typically an "inside job" by a dishonest employee of a legitimate merchant. The thief can procure a victim's credit card number using basic methods such as photocopying receipts or more advanced methods such as using a small electronic device (skimmer) to swipe and store hundreds of victims' credit card numbers.
Spyware/Trojans are software programmes that are downloaded onto your computer without your knowledge. They can collect personal information such as email addresses, passwords, credit cards and online banking details and transmit it to a fraudster. Trojans can arrive as attachments to emails or load onto your computer when you visit an infected website. They may also change the configuration of your computer.
Trojans - See Spyware
Viruses. A computer virus is a software program designed to spread from one computer to another and to interfere with computer operation. A virus might corrupt or delete data on your computer, use your email program to spread itself to other computers, or even erase everything on your hard disk. Viruses are most easily spread by attachments in email messages or instant messaging messages. That is why it is essential that you never open email attachments unless you know who it's from and you are expecting it.
Viruses can be disguised as attachments of funny images, greeting cards, or audio and video files. They can also spread through downloads on the Internet. They can be hidden in illicit software or other files, or programs you might download. To help avoid viruses, it's essential that you keep your computer up to date with the latest updates and anti virus tools, stay informed about recent threats, and that you follow a few basic rules when you surf the Internet, download files, and open attachments. Once a virus is on your computer, its type or the method it used to get there is not as important as removing it and preventing further infection.
Vishing is the latest form of financial fraud, whereby you receive a (probably automated) phone call that claims to be from Bank of Ireland or another financial institution. The caller or message may tell you that your online banking details have been compromised and that you should key in (on your phone handset) your personal banking details. Alternatively, you may be asked to call a number to rectify the problem and a hoax automated response system answers your call and asks you to input your full personal banking information such as account numbers, PIN and secure passwords, bank and ATM card numbers.
Worms - see Spyware