Cyber crime is a growing industry, especially with more people working from home. Victims in the United States reported losing a record-breaking $4.2 billion in 2020. These are the losses from fraud that were disclosed; there’s likely a lot more.
Criminals lurking in the dark corners of the Internet will do anything to take advantage of you. These are the 5 types of cybercrime that you need to look out for.
1. Gone Phishing
The most prominent way for someone to steal your information is through phishing. This isn’t the kind of fish pops would be proud of.
Phishing sounds a lot like what it is. Fraudsters online will try to catch your private data with convincing lures. This is typically done through well-made websites and official-looking emails.
Don’t follow links from emails you don’t recognize. More importantly, don’t enter any private information into an unknown form.
2. Don’t Pay the Ransom
Holding people for ransom is the oldest criminal M.O. in the book.
If your computer has been locked down by some malicious software or website, don’t panic. Criminals will often try to scare you into paying some ransom to release your computer. They may even claim to have some private, untrue information about you.
Most ransomware is cleanable. Get a good malware remover and clean your registry. Whatever you do, don’t open your wallet to them.
3. Someone Wearing Your Face
Fraudsters learn private information about you through phishing or social engineering. The information may seem innocuous, like your mother’s maiden name. But divulging this information is very dangerous!
Many criminals will use mugshot removal services to avoid suspicion in banks. They’re unrecognizable and will try to assume your identity.
They can use this data to financially ruin you. Do not give up this information to any site you don’t trust.
4. Cyber Crime Scams
Scams are a growing concern. Scammers are becoming more and more clever with their engineering. Their targets are mainly the elderly and naive.
Most online scams are done through computer sharing software. Disconnect if they’ve asked you to install anything. Trustworthy institutions will never need first-person access to your files.
5. Breaching the Data Vaults
Just about every day, there’s news about some company leaking your data. Data breaches are a huge goldmine for cybercriminals.
When a data breach occurs, hackers can use the stolen information to draw connections. One stolen password from a leak can have a cascading security risk.
Be sure to use unique passwords across all websites. And never signup on a website with poor security (look for the lock symbol in the URL bar).
Are You Safe on the Web?
The Internet is no longer a safe place. Criminals see dollar signs in unsuspecting victims. Protect yourself against cyber crime by knowing the most common frauds.
Hackers use phishing techniques and data breaches to steal your information. With that information, they can wreak havoc on your financials. Don’t fall victim to scams and ransomware — simply disconnect from the web.
Stay safe on the web by reading our other articles on cybersecurity and cybercrime law. Also, read about the best online tools to increase cybersecurity.
