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Don’t Be A Victim Of Cyber Crimes

Cyber crime in South Africa is on the increase. According to the 2013 Norton Report, approximately 12 people fall victim to cyber crimes every second. South Africa has the third highest number of cyber crime victims worldwide. The report also revealed that there are one million victims daily and 378 million cases of cyber crime each year, costing countries billions.

Cyber Crimes

Scam artists worldwide have upped their game and don’t have to leave the comfort of their homes to get at you from across the globe. Lots of criminals are exploiting the speed, convenience and anonymity of the internet to commit a variety of criminal activities that know no borders. Once a hacker has access to your online accounts they can steal money out of your bank accounts. The hackers can even post inappropriate pictures on your social media, and even change your passwords and hold your accounts ransom. These scammers can also access your PC by only sending you an e-mail that automatically causes malware software to download as you open the email. Once this has happened, the hacker then has full access to your PC and the data in it and can lock you out.

The South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC), an organization that focuses on combatting bank-related crimes, encourages people to delete suspicious e-mails from unknown sources without opening them immediately. If the cyber hacker manages to get your personal info they can perform transactions up to the limits set by your bank.

That’s why it’s so important for customers to protect their login information.

Customers need to avoid compromising their cyber security by managing and protecting one’s electronic devices such as cellphones, PCs and tablets are crucial to reducing the risk of cyber crimes. Criminals are devising new ways to steal from customers. As more bank customers migrate to online banking platforms, the risk of smartphones and hand-held devices that’s compromised has also increased. You need to ensure that anti-virus software is downloaded onto your smart device as well as your PC before you access your online banking profiles.

Likemoney Tips to Protect You From Cyber Crimes in South Africa

Don’t disclose personal info such as passwords and pins via email, telephone or fax.
Ensure no ones sees you entering your cellphone banking password on the phone.
DO NOT reply to suspicious texts or click on the unverified link. Call your bank to verify the authenticity of messages allegedly emanating from the ban.
Have different passwords for different accounts.
Create strong passwords that are not easy to decipher.
Do not fall victim to scammers who send messages saying that you have won a prize or inherited money.
Don’t use internet cafes or unsecured terminals to do your banking.
Secure your smartphone by enabling the lock function.
Do not save sensitive information and bank account details on your electronic devices.