At Nerox we are committed to protecting the security of all of our customers who use our online transfer service. While we have a number of industry standard security measures in place, unfortunately scammers operate online and have specialised tactics to try and overcome security systems by personally approaching individuals.
Millions of people fall victim to cybercrime annually. According to the Federal Trade Commission, in 2020 there were a total of 2.2 million online fraud-related complaints, amounting to a loss of $3.3bn for customers.
In the world of cybercrime scammers are constantly updating their techniques. However, there are some steps that you can take to help to protect yourself from online fraud which you should always use when using Nerox or any other online transfer of money.
Online fraud is the process of someone using an online medium to steal someone else’s identity or money. There are many different kinds of online scams which you should be aware of, and these include:
• True fraud: When someone uses a stolen debit or credit card to make fraudulent purchases online or to draw cash advances.
• Online shopping scams: In some cases the consumer may make a purchase and then will dispute the transaction, claiming that the product which they received was broken, damaged or they did not receive it at all. In other types of scams, the vendor acts as the fraudulent party and may disappear with the money when they have received payment for a product or service which they do not deliver.
• Data breaches: In a data breach private and confidential information, such as bank details, is accessed by criminals and stolen. This can often happen online with scammers using advanced scamming methods to trick people into giving them their confidential information, most often by pretending to be someone that they are not. This can also happen when scammers steal information by looking through rubbish to find bank statements and receipts, or by stealing someone’s wallet.
• Phishing: Also commonly known as a spoof attack, a phishing attack is where someone is tricked into giving out their credit card or personal information when they believe that they are dealing with a legitimate organisation. These approaches often come in the form of scam emails, delivered by con artists who are looking to steal personal information and then use it for fraudulent activity.
There are a number of different steps you can take to help to protect yourself from online fraud and cyber crime.
• Make sure that you always have the latest security software installed on your computers, smart phones and operating systems. The easiest way to do this is to have automatic updates enabled so that you always receive the latest updates.
• Make sure that the passwords you use are strong. Security experts recommend that passwords are at least eight characters long and that they use a combination of upper and lower case letters alongside numbers and special characters. You should also change your passwords frequently in order to reduce the risk of being hacked.
• Be aware of phishing attacks. Phishing attacks are often delivered via email and they attempt to trick the victim into downloading infected attachments or by following links to scam sites. Do not click on any links or open any attachments from unfamiliar sources and report any sites or organisations which you suspect may be operated by scammers.
• Only use trusted and secure file sharing services to send personal and banking information, or alternatively share this information over the phone.
• Never send money to anyone that you do not know and trust personally. It is always a good idea to confirm the arrangements with the receiver via a phone call before you attempt to send money to anyone.
• Activate two-factor authentication on your browser settings. This will give your accounts an added layer of protection which includes a password and a code which may be sent to your phone for example.
• Only shop from encrypted websites. Whenever you are purchasing something online, make sure that the website is using secure technology which means that the website address begins with HTTPS instead of HTTP. Most website browsers will also display a padlock item which is used to show that a website has been encrypted.
Online fraud can affect anyone and it is important to protect yourself wherever possible online by staying proactive and carefully looking at all of the websites which you interact with. When using the internet there can never be a guarantee of safety, which is why vigilance is always the best protection.