MADRID – Online fraud and financial crimes are on the increase. Be aware of unusual emails or WhatsApps even if they appear to have been sent by someone you know. October is CyberSecurity awareness month.
According to their official Twitter account, Interpol detected 907,000 phishing messages linked to Covid-19 just in the first four months alone of 2020. This is in addition to the many other online fraud attempts.
What can you do?
Keep your computers and mobile devices up to date. Ensure you have the latest security software, web browser, and operating system. These are the best defenses against viruses, malware, and other online threats. Also, turn on automatic updates so you receive the newest fixes as they become available. Furthermore, when setting any passwords, make sure they are strong. You can do this by making it at least eight characters long and a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and other special characters.
Check out your social media privacy settings to ensure you don´t give access to phone numbers, birthdays, addresses, mothers maiden name, etc. Also, if you are using wifi in your home, set a password so only you can decide who may access it.
Shopping online
Since the pandemic, more and more of us are turning to shop online. Also, as the festive period approaches, online orders will increase. Therefore, before shopping online, make sure the website uses secure technology. The URL website address which you can see on the bar at the top of your browser should begin “https”. If it does not include the “s” at the end, then it is not secure. You can also, check to see if a tiny locked padlock symbol appears on the page before you part with your credit card details.
Policia Nacional
The Policia Nacional in Spain advises you to be aware of online scams that exploit your trust and steal your money.
Some common scams include;
- non-delivery fraud
- telecom fraud
- card payment fraud
- investment fraud
- romance fraud
- holiday rental scams
Interpol
Interpol has put together some information and tips to help you reduce your chances of becoming a victim of online fraud.
InSpain.News
Over the last few weeks, InSpain.News has reported various online scams via their official Facebook site.
Think before you click that link!
