FraudNews
01-24-2011, 02:16 AM
When most of our day to day activities like shopping and doing work are being done through the use of the computer and the internet, the threats that we face with regard to online security also increase. If the only problem with doing business online in the past was viruses that could slow your computer down, we now have to deal with things like malware, spyware, spam and phishing.
Malware or spyware works with internet fraud in that you might have opened an email infected with this malicious software. Once this spyware infects your PC, hackers will be able to monitor your computer and even control your computer. This can even record your keystrokes and that could lead to identity theft. As for spam and phishing internet scams, you can run into a certain website, for example, of something you’re interested in. If you’re not wary and careful, you might be disclosing your bank account information, credit card number, passwords, social security number and other sensitive personal information.
In a study conducted on online security threats made by the National Fraud Authority in the UK, it was found that spyware, spam and phishing targeted towards social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook have increased. Threats to online security via spyware and malware on social networking sites has seen a 90% increase since 2009. Spamming has also doubled in comparison to two years ago. With regard to the number of people who received phishing messages, there only used to be about 15% in April 2009. This year, online security threats like phishing have increased to 43%.
A survey was also conducted on the safety that account holders at various social networking sites felt and 82% of them thought that Facebook was the biggest threat to security. In a world that’s becoming more and more reliant on the internet, the benefits of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, needs to be appreciated. The best thing we could do now to avoid falling victim to internet fraud is to be wary of opening email attachments, clicking on suspicious links and filling forms that call for sensitive personal information.
Malware or spyware works with internet fraud in that you might have opened an email infected with this malicious software. Once this spyware infects your PC, hackers will be able to monitor your computer and even control your computer. This can even record your keystrokes and that could lead to identity theft. As for spam and phishing internet scams, you can run into a certain website, for example, of something you’re interested in. If you’re not wary and careful, you might be disclosing your bank account information, credit card number, passwords, social security number and other sensitive personal information.
In a study conducted on online security threats made by the National Fraud Authority in the UK, it was found that spyware, spam and phishing targeted towards social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook have increased. Threats to online security via spyware and malware on social networking sites has seen a 90% increase since 2009. Spamming has also doubled in comparison to two years ago. With regard to the number of people who received phishing messages, there only used to be about 15% in April 2009. This year, online security threats like phishing have increased to 43%.
A survey was also conducted on the safety that account holders at various social networking sites felt and 82% of them thought that Facebook was the biggest threat to security. In a world that’s becoming more and more reliant on the internet, the benefits of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, needs to be appreciated. The best thing we could do now to avoid falling victim to internet fraud is to be wary of opening email attachments, clicking on suspicious links and filling forms that call for sensitive personal information.