What’s New in Cyber Crime?

When it comes to cyber security, you are on top of it! You have complex password phrases, password lockers, tight privacy settings on your social media, and even physical safeguards in place. Well done!  Unfortunately, scammers and cyber criminals are also on top of their game, continually evolving their techniques and exploiting technological and psychological vulnerabilities. Here is a quick snapshot of five cyber crime trends.

The CEO Scam

It’s true what they say: Everything old is new again. That applies to fashion, styles and crime trends. The CEO scam is an updated version of the old Nigerian Prince scam. Most folks today are too savvy to fall for that, but hackers have gotten more sophisticated and can make a kernel of truth look like a whole ear of corn. It might be time to review your corporate organization chart, so you can recognize a fake when you see it.

https://www.pindrop.com/blog/fbi-says-fake-ceo-email-scam-losses-hit-2-3-billion/

Sextortion

If you’ve been doing naughty things with your webcam, stop it. Just stop it! There are criminals out there even nastier than you who will try to blackmail you to keep those videos from being leaked. Cover your webcam and check out this link for more information.

https://www.comparitech.com/blog/information-security/what-is-sextortion-examples/

Vishing and Smishing

Cyber crime is not limited to keyboard devices. You may know about Phishing, which is an attempt to get your account information for the purpose of identity theft. Now there are variations of this technique being used on cell phones through calls (Vishing) and texts (Smishing).  Hang up! Don’t click the links. Check out this article for more information.

https://security.intuit.com/index.php/protect-your-information/phishing-pharming-vishing-and-smishing

RFID Skimmers

I know you’ve been warned by your parents, grandparents, and your weird uncle with the conspiracy theories about high-tech hackers walking around the mall stealing your credit information through Radio Frequency IDentification Skimmers. You may have even seen late night TV commercials selling you special wallets to prevent it. Don’t listen to them. There is very little evidence that this happens on a large scale. Skip the special wallet and slip a piece of aluminum foil into your wallet.

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3243089/cyber-attacks-espionage/the-truth-about-rfid-credit-card-fraud.html

So, there you have it. When it comes to cyber security, keep this warning from Steve Weisman of Scamicide.com in mind: “Anyone who thinks they’re above it is really fooling themselves. The person who thinks they can’t be scammed is the best target.”

Stay suspicious and stay safe! Diligence is the mother of good luck. ~ Benjamin Franklin