Prevent Scam: Use the Man on the Street rule!
A Press Release issued by New Zealand Police has warned its citizens that scam operators may be eyeing a larger ground to play out their scams in view of their access to increasingly newer technologies on the internet front. They have offered a thumb rule to their people to help them stay away from being conned.
The press release and the thumb rule could not have come at a more appropriate time. Internet related scams and fraud have plagued all corners of the world. With new resources and fresh weapons in their armory, conmen might be emboldened to act out their scams even more convincingly, especially of the Phishing and Nigerian scams variety.
Here is the useful rule:
The New Zealand Police has urged its citizens to apply the following formula to prevent being scammed. Whenever you are solicited by a request online to reveal any personal or financial details, imagine the same thing being asked of you by a stranger on the street. Would you reveal it to him?
If not, then there is no reason to treat the online request differently.
Such advice is particularly valuable for people who are not abreast with the latest development in internet technology or for those living in nooks and corners of the world where reach of the internet is new or not that widespread.
Technologies like Voice-Over-Internet Protocol Technology (VOIP) may not be widely used, it at all they are available, in most parts of the world. But trust fraudsters to use and always be on the lookout for the latest that technology has to offer. Using the VOIP, they may only have to pay for their internet charges for calling abroad. If they are using a legal internet connection, that is.
They would love to use these for their phishing scams, for instance, and contact you to get personal details like credit card number, bank account number and other such information. Though, the rule in itself would not be enough to fully tackle such scams. (You can get more help on how to prevent phishing scams here.)
The VOIP may also be used by fraudsters perpetrating Nigerian email scams. They could use it to give a personal touch to their cock-and-bull stories that is so much a part of these scams and make them sound more credible.
Coming back, the concerns of the New Zealand Police may be very well-founded. Internet fraudsters may be making themselves more comfortable and trying to make their presence felt in this part of the world. The recent scam uncovered in Australia may well be the cause for the alarm bells to have started ringing.
Related posts:
- 5 Top Tips to Identify Scams
- EV SSL: Tentative First Year for New Online Site Authentication Tool
- Plymouth Police warn of a nationwide scam
- Text Phishing Scam ramps up ,Iowa residents are latest victims.
- Not all Nigerians scam; yet an image continues to stick…
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:59 am
THIS IS AN DANGEROUS GROUP THAT ARE THREATNING PEOPLE THRU INTERNET:
Raymonds and Raymonds Law Firm.
L23w Calive Way, Thames Street,
Weybridge, Surrey. KT13 8NL.
United Kingdom.
Tel: +44 7031977692
Fax: +44 7075209886
Email: [email protected]
March 13th, 2009 at 10:00 am
I got a mail from one Mike Miyaki telling that my fund is in his custody.He request that i send him my contact details and my bank details too in my reply to his mail.I refused to comply and he has sent several mail to me and now i see his mails as disturbance to me as such i ask that you help me block his email which is [email protected]
Once his email is blocked,how do i get notified by you?
Thanks,
Glyn