Staying safe from online scams
With the advent of the Internet and smart devices, people are finding that it’s so much easier to do things while on the go. You can book a hotel room, pay your bills, answer your emails and more while travelling. It has made our lives so much easier and convenient but it’s also exposing all of us to scams that abound everywhere. We sometimes read about security breaches that hit multi-national companies or some worldwide virus threat and feel somewhat helpless but there’s no need to feel despair.
With some common sense and good practice, we can at least ensure we minimise our risk and exposure to online scams.
So, first of all, what are online scams? In brief, an online scam is when criminals con people to give money or disclose their personal information for criminals to misuse.
Some of the more common ones are:
Fake emails
E-mails that are designed to look almost identical to those sent by banks or large corporations such as Apple or Amazon that lure people to click on a fake link and key in their private information. Many people are easily fooled by this method as they click on the provided link without double checking. The best defence against this kind of emails is to NOT CLICK on any link in any emails. Banks will never ask for you to disclose your information through this method. If you are in doubt, just follow up with a phone call, again, NEVER call the number provided in the email. Check the back of your bank card for your bank’s number or do a proper Google search.
Fake websites
Scammers can replicate websites that look almost exactly like the original one, so it’s easy to get scammed if you do not know what to look out for. To ensure you are on a real website, don’t click on any links from emails, WhatsApp, SMS, etc. Do a Google search if you are not sure of the actual url. Pay attention to the url as well. You don’t have to be an expert in spotting a suspicious URL. Just look for some red flags on the link. Fake links generally imitate established websites, often by adding unnecessary words and domains. If you accidentally clicked a phishing link, don’t panic. Just make sure you don’t login or provide any information and just close the browser window.
Online shopping scams
You will find great bargains when you do online shopping as that’s the main draw of e-commerce sites. However, if you find an offer that’s too good to be true, than you have to beware. For example, if you know the retail price for a gadget is RM3,000 and the product is being sold for RM1,000, that should raise a few red flags. You don’t want to be spending your hard earned money on a brick! You should then look at the seller’s reputation or reviews from past buyers. The golden rule is to never send money to anyone unless you are very sure the seller is trustworthy. You should only shop from established names and makes sure there is return policy that’s spelled out.
Fake giveaways / prizes
This scam is prevalent on social media and messaging services. You’ve probably seen a message that says “Like this page and tag your friends for a chance to win a brand new car!” or “I’ve just won 2 FREE air tickets to Japan, hurry, click here today to claim yours!” It’s easy to spot these scams if you just take a moment to study the message. Just remember the saying ‘there’s no such thing as a free lunch’. A real giveaway from any large corporation will always include their terms and conditions that comes with restrictions on which country the giveaway is limited to. If it’s a bona-fide giveaway, they will also not request access to your contacts or address book. And if they are giving away something grand, you can be sure that there will be ample publicity everywhere.
While there are many other scams out there, the best line of defence one can take is to take a step back whenever one is unsure. Don’t panic and react. Take a little time to do some online search and ask around. Sometimes, all it takes is just a change in perspective that will save you from a whole world of trouble.
If you believe you have been a victim to any online scam or fraud, you should lodge a complaint with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission or Malaysia Computer Emergency Response Team and they will advise you on what you need to do.