Just as criminals of yesteryear posed as technicians, plumbers and the like to gain access to homes, modern day swindlers and cyber thieves are using sites like Facebook to get their hands on information and funds.
But experts say that although this is becoming increasingly problematic, internet users will eventually become savvy enough to spot an imposter - just like people eventually learnt not to open their doors to strangers.
Institute for Information and Communication Technology Advancement director at NMMU, Prof Rossouw von Solms, said one reason cyber criminals have turned to networking sites was a “gap in education”.
“Our parents teach us about not letting strangers into our homes, but today's parents don't know much about Facebook and therefore can't teach children about the pitfalls.”
Von Solms believes that cyber criminals have many tricks up their sleeves to get what they want.
Because of the wealth of information people put on Facebook about themselves, it becomes easy to build up a profile of their victims before they start fishing for more pertinent information like addresses.
“You'll get someone who adds you as a friend saying that they know one of your acquaintances and, before you know it, you trust this person with personal information.”
Some criminals can - just with the information you supply on a social networking site - use your details to open accounts in your name.
In some instances, they steer you through Facebook to a spoof site containing malicious software which enables them to infiltrate your PC.
Von Solms said that with some of the software, criminals could record keystrokes and through this get the user identification and password for one's internet banking account - giving them free access to one's funds.
Another dark side to social networking was using it to damage a person's character or reputation.
Von Solms said he knew of a case where someone took over a profile and posted pornographic material on it - landing the profile owner in hot water.
“A lot of people have also lost their jobs by writing defamatory comments on these sites about their companies or superiors.”
Superintendent Rhoda Rheeder, commander of the police commercial crimes unit in Nelson Mandela Bay, said they were currently investigating a case of defamation on a social networking site.
Rheeder added that wherever technology was involved, there would always be criminals trying to take advantage of new developments.
Criminals gaining bank details through fraudulent emails had been rife at one stage, she said.
“Between November last year and January this year, we received about eight cases a day.
“But due to media warnings and education, it has gone quiet over the last couple of months.”
The local commercial crimes unit, however, has seen an influx in fraudulent advertising through sites like bidorbuy, eBay and Gumtree.
Rheeder said criminals advertise goods like laptops and cameras and ask for a deposit before delivery.
“After six or seven people have paid their deposits, the account gets cleaned out without the buyers receiving their goods.”
ATM card cloning is also rife in the Nelson Mandela Bay area. These criminals pose as employees of the bank, providing assistance. Before the cardholder knows it, the card has been cloned with a cloning device which the criminals import from Canada or China. Between January and the middle of last month, the unit received about 160 cases in this regard.
Rheeder added that technology related crimes were not easy to investigate.
“With a normal crime like a housebreaking case, you get your fingerprints, gather evidence and talk to witnesses.”
But with cyber crimes, just finding the IP address from where the crime was committed requires about four different avenues which have to be followed.
Both Rheeder and Von Solms warned that people should be very careful about giving out information. Von Solms added that anything that seemed too good to be true, usually was.
He said no bank would ever ask one to confirm account or personal information by phone or email.
“Deem social networks as being public,” he warned “Do not put any information on it you do not want the public to see or know.”
Source: The Herald
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