Page 11 - Dainfern Precinct Living Issue 6_2023

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CYBERCRIMES With more and more people resorting

to the use of the internet, apps, emails

and online transactions, cybercriminals

ON THE INCREASE are wreaking havoc. How can you avoid

becoming a victim?

B Y JO SH TRUTER
ybercrimes involve hacking, from the banks where you have accounts, access programme may also make you
information and identity theft, report this suspicious activity to their vulnerable as scammers can then take
phishing, ransoms, system fraud line straight away. If you feel that control of your computer, install malware
Cblocking, cyber-stalking, any of your credit cards have been and hi-jack your data.
invasion of privacy and many other compromised, cancel the card/s and alert
inventive ways to compromise our digital the bank. PREVENTATIVE MEASURES TO
safety. Website hacking has also become KEEP YOU SAFE AND SANE
more prevalent, especially now that more ONLINE BANKING 1. Ensure you have reputable antivirus
people are trading online. So how do we The major banks also advise that, before software installed on all your devices,
combat these criminal activities? you do online banking, make sure that keep it updated and make sure it scans
you are actually on their official website. your files regularly.
All IT support service providers will give If anything about their ‘home page’ looks
you the same advice – prevention is odd or out of place, they suggest that 2. Don’t open any suspicious emails and
better than cure. But if you do fall victim you close the page and cancel the link never click on links in, or attachments to
to any of these tactics, in most cases on your browser. Then contact your bank unsolicited emails. [Often, if you hover
there are remedies. to alert them to the fraudulent activity. over the sender’s name with your cursor,
[Taking a photo of the screen or taking a an email address will appear, which
Firstly, though, let’s start by identifying screenshot before navigating away from ends up being completely unrelated to
and examining the threats in greater it could be helpful, too.] the organisation they are pretending to
detail. represent. You may also try hitting the
CHARITY FRAUD SCAMS ‘reply’ option (without sending) to see
EMAILS Whenever there’s a crisis, requests for what the return address reveals.]
The recent change in the POPI Act donations are not far away. Making
(Protection of Personal Information donations via third parties is fraught 3. Avoid visiting dodgy websites that may
Act) specifies that marketers are no with diversions and obscurities. Did you pose a security risk to your devices.
longer allowed to send out unsolicited know that anyone collecting on behalf
correspondence. However, this new of a charity is entitled to take their cut 4. Use strong passwords that are not
legislation has had very little effect as the first, before sharing the balance (if any) easy to guess and never store your
volume of spam and junk emails is on the with the charity? This also applies to passwords on any of your devices.
increase. the cell phone platform used for SMS Change your passwords regularly as an
donations. extra precaution.
You may be receiving a lot of emails lately
that look like they have come from your Over and above that, scammers pose A lot of criminals are actually
bank (or banks if you use more than as legitimate charities and divert funds exceptionally clever individuals who
one). You may even receive spam emails intended for them to fake donation sites enjoy the thrill of ducking and diving,
from SARS. These are over and above the and duplicated bank accounts. Never coming up with all sorts of inventive
frequent emails that you’d be receiving make a donation online on impulse crimes. They have no compassion or
telling you about an inheritance from an without doing your research first. Always regard for their victims.
unknown relative and that you have won check out the charity by visiting their
a fortune in an unheard-of lottery. And website. If the charity is legitimate, they There’s that age-old saying of “buyer
then there are all the ‘companies’ which will offer a tax exemption certificate for beware”. In the case of cybercrimes,
have made ‘payments’ to you for orders any donation made by you. it’s a case of “victims beware”. In the
that they have supposedly sent to you, mind of the cybercriminal, it’s your
for products that you don’t supply. UNSOLICITED OFFERS TO fault if you get scammed! They’re just
IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE doing what they’ve chosen as their
The most important strategy to employ OF YOUR DEVICES ‘profession’ and will continue to do so,
when it comes to suspicious emails is to Anything unsolicited should be viewed unless they get caught.
delete them immediately and do not click with suspicion. Anyone offering to
on any links or attachments. improve the speed or performance Recently, the National Council of
of any of your devices or to help with Provinces (NCOP) passed the Cybercrimes
The major banks emphasise that software issues – if you don’t know Bill for South Africa, making a whole list
they will not ask you to click on links them, end the conversation without of transgressions punishable by law. Time
or attachments that will take you to sharing any information with them. will tell whether this will help to protect
another site. Do not share any personal Never allow anyone remote access to you and me, but in the meantime, let’s
information and do not divulge any your computer unless you know them do whatever we can to keep these
account information or passwords. personally and have had prior dealings criminals away from our personal
If suspicious emails appear to be coming with them. Downloading a remote devices.

DPL issue 6 2023
10 DPL issue 6 2023 DPL issue 2 2023 711