Many of us remember a time when the idea of someone stealing your life savings in one foul swoop sounded like a science fiction movie. Unfortunately, modern technology has made it quite possible for a criminal with a keyboard and a set of nimble fingers to snatch your piggy bank from right under your nose.
Older people often do not fully understand the risk involved with using ever evolving technology for things like banking or online shopping. They are expected to master these technologies in order to ‘keep up’ with a society where even ordinary, daily tasks like grocery shopping, paying bills, or consulting a doctor, are now done digitally. And as a result of playing in an unfamiliar arena, they are the easiest targets for criminals to prey on.
To help keep you safe, we have compiled a list of tips for you to implement so you can safely enjoy all the wonderful things the internet provides.
INTERNET BANKING
- Never respond to emails, phone calls, or messages appearing to be from a bank, requesting you to enter your personal details. Even more so when it’s not the bank you bank with. No exceptions, ever.
- Never click on a link in any communication. There are many email scams doing the rounds trying to trick people into clicking on links in order to download their tax certificates. To safely download your tax certificate (or any other document), rather log in and download it directly from the provider’s website.
- If you navigate to the bank’s website via the suspicious link, the site you land on will be a fake “mirror” site. It will look incredibly real, but it has been set up to imitate the bank’s real website. This is done to trick you into entering your login details so the thief can capture it.
- Never share the login details to your internet banking with anyone. Especially not with someone who impersonates a bank employee over the phone.
- When prompted, never select the option to save your login details on your computer. It seems convenient (rather than having to remember a password), but it also makes logging into your account convenient for a criminal.
- We know it’s hard to remember passwords, but try to change yours every now and again. Avoid using your birthday, the name of a family member or a pet, as your passwords. It makes it too easy for a criminal to crack. Also, avoid posting personal details anywhere online – that includes Facebook!
- To make it easier for yourself, keep all passwords in one document and make sure to keep it somewhere safe or, at least, protected by one single password if it’s a digital document.
- Make sure you’ve set sensible transaction limits on your accounts, making it more difficult for the thief to extract large amounts in one go.
ONLINE SHOPPING
- Do not shop on websites that are not well known, that you’ve never heard of before, or that look suspicious. If it looks suspicious, chances are that it is not to be trusted with your credit card details.
- Never enter your credit card details on any website you don’t trust. See above.
- Do not allow yourself to be convinced to pay for something you haven’t seen.
- If something being sold online seems too good to be true, it is. Especially if it is being advertised at a ridiculously low price, or the sales message tries to convince you that you need to act urgently. Scope it out, chat with friends to find out if anyone you know has ever successfully made use of the site… Do some research.
OTHER SCAMS
- Scammers are clever. They have a special talent for sniffing out an opportunity to impersonate a person / company / brand that you trust, since you’d be most likely to hand over your personal info to someone you trust.
- The latest scam doing the rounds impersonates loyalty programs, like Vodacom’s VodaBucks. They hook you by enticing you to take urgent action or your points will expire. If you receive a message like this (or anything similar) contact the service provider on your own terms – do not, under any circumstances, click on a link.
- Do not respond to WhatsApp messages from people you don’t know who contact you out of the blue. These job offers, advertisements, weight loss remedies (and even pick up lines) never lead anywhere good. Do not click on anything. Block the contact and delete the chat.
- Do not fall for the promise of an excessive discount, high returns on a potential investment, or a free gift. These are only used to manipulate you into surrendering sensitive information.
- Do not allow yourself to be rushed or bullied. If you sense that the person you are speaking to is becoming impatient or rude because you do not want to perform a certain action, immediately hang up the phone or walk away. You don’t owe anyone anything – especially not your safety. Don’t be “nice” where your safety is concerned.
You are not alone
Often times people are hesitant to admit that they have been scammed. Their wounded pride allows the scammers to get away with their schemes for longer than they would if information about their tactics were shared faster. It is important to realise that everyone has a weak moment from time to time – we are all susceptible to the lies of clever people who do nothing all day except plan ways to trick innocent people out of their money. Be vigilant, because you never know the angle the trouble will come at you from.
If you suspect that you have been scammed, Google the official website of your bank and phone the fraud hotline listed there. They will likely freeze your account and internet banking access – an inconvenient, but necessary step in keeping you safe.
If you have any questions about online security or need some advice, send an email to theowl@onverwag.org.za. We are always happy to chat.