Emails asking people to send money abroad so that they can collect lottery money are passe now. Latest is a new online scam with an all new modus operandi that has left even security experts clueless.
Recently a college student received an email from his friend asking for 1,200 pounds (Rs 85,000) as he had lost his wallet. It came from the account of someone she knew and even bore his digital signature. However, later she found out that his friend never wrote the email.
Few months back, a businessman approached the cyber crime cell after some of his friends received a mail from his Hotmail account requesting them to send him Rs 1.27 lakh.
And mind you, such incidents are on a rise, security experts have warned that cyber criminals are hacking mail accounts and sending mails to addresses in the contact list to extract money.
So, how can you make sure you don't become a victim of one? Here are five golden rules to follow to make sure you don't become a victim.
Separate personal and official IDs
The best way to avoid such a situation is to have two email IDs with separate and long passwords -- one official, the other for personal use. Not only it will leave you better organised, but is the easiest way to keep cyber criminals at bay.
Also, be sure of the password you use. Remember, while easy passwords leave little room for forgetting, they leave a lot of scope for tinkering by cyber hackers.
With Internet becoming an important repository of our personal information both financial and otherwise, the stakes can be high if the same is tampered with.
So try using some mixed combos that can secure your mail. Length is a huge advantage to memorise your password. And always remember your name, spouse name, children names or birthdays are a strict no no.
Bookmarks