Cybercrime! How do you avoid being a victim.

[juntzo]

My cousin was recently a victim of identity theft and he had no idea how it happen. His credit score just suddenly made a nosedive! He found out when we went to get a loan for a new car. It was traced to credit cards that he did not apply for. The police are still investigating!

He thinks it has something to do with his online activities! Is that true?

For the internet and tech gurus, please enlighten us about cybercrime!

I also found this article in the Manila Times... scary!

Cybercrime committed 'every
10 seconds' in Britain: report

[SIZE=2]A cybercrime is committed every 10 seconds in Britain, criminals abusing the anonymity of the online world to carry out offences from unwanted ***ual approaches to online fraud, according to a study published Thursday.

The UK Cybercrime report, commissioned by online criminology firm 1871 Ltd, suggested that more than three million offences were committed online last year.

Stefan Fafinski -- the author of the report -- said: "Although measuring cybercrime is difficult, it is clear that in many instances it is outstripping 'traditional' crime.

"This is a result of unparalleled opportunities that the Internet gives both for making familiar crimes easier and enabling 'pure' cybercrimes that could not exist without the Internet."

Online security firm Garlik compiled the figures and found that individuals and not organisations were the intended target of more than 60 percent of the online offences.

Topping the list of offences was online harassment which include abusive e-mails and offensive allegations posted on websites and chatrooms.

There were 850,000 instances of *** crimes -- where individuals were 'cyberstalked' or received unwanted ***ual approaches and paedophiles grooming underage children for ***.

Garlik also found that there were 207,000 financial frauds committed last year -- up more than 30 percent on a similar study in 2005 and eclipsing outstripping the 199,800 offline frauds.

There were 92,000 cases of identity theft and 144,500 cases of hacking into another PC.

Experts also warned that not enough is being done to tackle the problem, seriously denting Britain's aspirations to be a world IT leader.

"If it remains unchecked it (the number of crimes) will continue to increase," said Fafinski. [/SIZE]

[juntzo]

Also, does buying things online using your credit cards put you in a risk?

[kimpOy]

remember the movie "The Net" seems like just a sci-fi pero ngayon reality na...

kakatakot ah twing bumibili pa naman kami ng airline tickets thru internet

[Hanren]

My cousin was recently a victim of identity theft and he had no idea how it happen. His credit score just suddenly made a nosedive! He found out when we went to get a loan for a new car. It was traced to credit cards that he did not apply for. The police are still investigating!

He thinks it has something to do with his online activities! Is that true?

For the internet and tech gurus, please enlighten us about cybercrime!

identity theft – identity theft is where the cyber criminal steals their victims identity and then transacts, usually via the Internet in the name of the victim. More often than not this will include and element of credit card fraud.

How did the culprit/s know his name and or account details when he did not apply for those cards? Perhaps, it is possible that his existing credit cards used in his online transactions were transacted in dubious web sites or whose information was "captured" while in transit.

Protection from cybercrime is not a one way street. Both the user and concerned agencies and financial institutions are responsible for the protection of identities and personal details. For example, before any large credit card transactions can be made, users can call and inform their credit card companies about the transaction. Or sometimes, credit card companies can hold large transactions first befire they can personally verify the identity and validity of the credit card user.

Be sure to transact only with legitimate (but how will you know one?) and secured web sites (those with httpS security protocols etc).

[ichu202]

This is really scary! So balik ulit tayo sa cash transactions?

I read this news recently that even the Bank Of India website was hacked and unusable for a period of time. What happens then to the customers' info?

[kinyo]

Also, does buying things online using your credit cards put you in a risk?

[SIZE="6"]ABSOLUTELY![/SIZE]

[froshie1]

Also, does buying things online using your credit cards put you in a risk?

not just online. it's everytime you use your credit card.

other tips: wag gumawa ng scandal. hehehe

[oldblue]

Buy a Mac! no trojans, no spyware, no pop-ups

[the_wildthing]

In no particular order:

1. Buy at trusted, reliable and more famous sites. HTTPS/SSL always.

2. Do not store your confidential information on a computer that you also use for surfing and file sharing. If you only have one computer, don't use file sharing. Or if at all, make sure you are only sharing a folder, not your entire computer. Encrypt your confidential files with PGP or some other public key encryption software.

3. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com every four months to get your free credit report from one of the top 3 credit reporting agencies (if you are in the US). Get only one as they synch up every now and then. E.g. Experian in January, TransUnion in May, Equifax in September. For 30 bucks you can probably get a monthly update. Some banks offer this as well.

4. Keep checking your credit cards and bank accounts at least once a week online.

5. It may be more secure to transact online than in stores. Stores have the human element - the cashier/waiter can surreptitiously make a copy of your card. If you follow 1) it will be less likely that a hacker can get your info. Until of course the human element comes into play and some stupid employee copies all the data into an unprotected local drive.

6. Stop paper bills. Go online. Saves paper. Saves trees. Saves you from other people looking into your trash, or worse, your mail.

7. Do not transact financial business (e.g. looking at your online account) while on free WiFi hotspots, or any free Internet connection for that matter, unless you go through VPN.

8. Keep your machine's bluetooth off until you need it.

9. Sign up at www.donotcall.gov, and that other registry so that you don't get pre-screened for credit card offers.

10. Do not post personally identifiable information on forums.

11. Do not send any confidential information through email. Remember, email is not secure. It jumps from server to server until it gets to the destination. On any server it passed it can be opened.

12. If some form or some agent asks for your SSN and it's not the government, ask for their privacy policy. Do not carry your card around with you either.

Not an exhaustive list but it's a start.

[juntzo]

Thank you very much! Great info....