Lately, you may often hear about rampant online fraud in various forms, such as SMS messages, telephone calls, emails, social media, and other media. Some time ago, for example, online fraud via APK files has been rife, which has caused financial losses for victims.
Did you know that online fraud is one of the most reported crimes? From January to September 2020, online fraud ranked as the second most reported crime, or 28.7% of the total reports
What exactly is online fraud? What can you do to avoid online fraud? Come on, see the full discussion in this article.
What is online fraud?
Online fraud is the use of internet services or software with internet access to deceive or take advantage of victims, for example, by stealing personal information, which can lead to identity theft.
The development of internet technology is currently also being used by online fraud perpetrators to deceive their victims on websites, chat rooms, social media, e-mail, and other media. Online fraud can use several methods, modes, and equipment that vary from software, exploiting security holes in the electronic devices used, to phishing that is carried out remotely, such as from abroad.
Based on data, from 2016 to September 2020, there are a total of 7,047 cases of online fraud, or, on average, there are 1,409 cases of online fraud each year. This means that online fraud is one of the crimes that are often committed. For this reason, it is important for you to know the steps you can take to avoid online fraud.
Tips to avoid online fraud
Here are some things you can do to avoid online fraud.
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Beware of foreign contacts and suspicious links
If you get a call from a contact you don't know, you have to be careful now that there are many fraudulent modes by phone. Telephone fraud mode usually uses a mobile number instead of an office number or uses an area code such as (021).
In addition, if you get SMS or chat messages on social media from numbers or contacts you don't know and send links to unclear sources, you should not click on those links. This could be a form of online fraud mode to steal personal data on your device.
Finally, suppose you meet people online through social media, and you're tempting them to collaborate or do business. In that case, it's a good idea to take the time to do a background check to see if the person is trusted or even just wants to use you for personal gain.
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Be careful when shopping online, and make sure the sites you visit are safe
When you shop online, you must also be aware of online fraud that often occurs because, currently, many online shops exist in e-commerce and social media. Don't be easily tempted by the lure of low prices because it is not certain that the goods sent will be the same as what you expected or what was promoted.
Before buying an item, make sure you check several things such as authenticity and online store or seller ratings, double-check reviews or testimonials from buyers, and check product photos and the authenticity of the products that have been sold so you don't get caught up in online fraud when shopping online.
Finally, if you visit an online store website, make sure the website you visit is safe. You can see a website security marker symbol, usually a locked padlock to the left of the URL address. If the website marker symbol does not have a locked security marker symbol, you better leave the website immediately because there is a risk that the website is used for online fraud mode.
In addition, if you have already entered a suspicious website and made transactions there or you notice that there is a suspicious transaction in your account, immediately report it to the police and report it to the bank. If you are a customer of Bank MAS, you can report to Bank MAS Call Center at 021-3000-2500.
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Looking for references to similar scams
Online fraud is currently carried out in several modes, such as via telephone, SMS messages, email, and social media that send links to APK files to be clicked or downloaded. You can learn the characteristics of these modes so you can avoid similar modes that have happened before.
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Do Not Provide Personal Information
For those of you who frequently use social media, you should be wiser and more careful in sharing information on your social media accounts. Never share personal information or data such as KTP, SIM, and Passport on your social media. You can also read tips on protecting your personal data so that it is not misused by irresponsible parties.
In addition, never give other data such as your ATM PIN, email password, mobile banking, and internet banking to strangers and people you don't trust because it can cause financial losses for you.
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Be careful using Wi-Fi in public places.
You must also be aware of online fraud in a public place like an amusement park. One mode of online fraud is via a Wi-Fi network in a public place. Perpetrators usually duplicate the original Wi-Fi name commonly used in public places to make device users connected so they can enter and access device data used by victims.
For that, you need to be careful using public Wi-Fi, and if in doubt, it's better to use the internet network from personal data to avoid online fraud mode in public spaces. You can also top up your internet data package at MAS Mobile anytime and anywhere, so you can still use the internet in public spaces when you need it.
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Use a strong password combination
Online fraud often takes advantage of your account's security holes, such as breaking passwords. To avoid and reduce the risk of online fraud, use a password with a potent combination. You can use combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols to create a strong password.
When creating a combination of keywords, avoid using common words, names, places/dates of birth, and other easily guessed personal data. You should also avoid using one password for all accounts because once your password is guessed by a bad actor, there is a big risk that you will lose all your accounts, be it your email accounts, social media, or banking applications.
Those are ways to avoid online fraud that you can apply for those of you who often and like to transact online. You can also read other safe transaction tips on the Bank MAS website so that your digital transactions remain safe and avoid online fraud mode.
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