April-June of this year. losses incurred due to fraud increased by almost 400 thousand. euros compared to the same period last year. According to the center’s specialists, thieves do not invent a new wheel of fraud – they tend to revive practices that have been used in the past, such as scam calls.
Only the strategies used change, residents are approached not only by pretending to be members of the family in distress. This year, there has been an increase in the number of impersonators presenting themselves as employees of large technology companies such as Google and Meta in Lithuania. Donatas Drakickas adds that the villains can also act from Lithuanian companies. For example, pretending to be representatives of a mobile operator.
“Employees of salons or contact centers already know your name when calling to renew a contract. They may ask for some personal information just to make sure they are talking to the right person. Also, during the interview, managers will never ask you to enter “Mobile-ID”, “Smart-ID” codes or to confirm links when connecting through electronic banking”, warns D. Drakickas.
People of all ages hang out
A recent Deloitte study revealed that Gen Z are three times more likely to fall for fraud than their grandparents (16 percent and 5 percent, respectively). It turns out that young people are more confident in reporting scams related to data theft. „phishing“) and other cyber threats.
According to Donats Drakik, Generation Z uses technology much more intensively than older people, which makes them more vulnerable and more likely to become targets of online fraud. Second, having grown up with technology, young people sometimes blindly trust their devices and forget to take care of security. Likewise, cyber security education in schools often does not provide practical knowledge that matches younger people’s online experience and teaches them how to protect themselves properly.
How not to get drunk?
“Your personal information is very valuable, so protect it like your own eye. Fraudsters prey on our trust, so vigilance will help you avoid pitfalls. Whether it’s a fake email letters, unexpected calls, or suspicious messages – be alert and skeptical,” advises D. Drakickas.
Don’t trust officialdom. Fraudsters often pretend to be representatives of banks, government agencies, or other trustworthy organizations, using their logos, colors, language style, and other signs of credibility to appear convincing. Always check that the call is really from them, even if the letter or phone call looks reliable. You can do this through the contacts listed on the official page of the organization.
Protect your personal data strictly. Never share your passwords, bank card details, PIN, online banking login details or other sensitive data with strangers, even if they claim to be from a trusted organisation. Remember that trusted organizations never ask for confidential information via email. by mail or SMS.
Don’t panic. Intense pressure signals the need to approach the situation with caution. By forcing you to take one action or another quickly, scammers leave you less time to verify the information they provide, thereby pushing you toward the wrong decision. Rushing creates fear, anxiety and tension, prompting people to act on impulse rather than logical thinking, which is essential in fending off scammers.
Use two-factor authentication (2FA). This is a necessary security measure that should be enabled on all critical accounts to protect them from unauthorized access. With this feature enabled, even if malicious actors learn your password, they won’t be able to access your account without additional verification. This can be a sequence of numbers sent to a mobile phone, a code generated by an authentication app such as Smart-ID, or biometric data such as a fingerprint or facial recognition.
2FA greatly reduces the risk of your account being stolen or misused, so two-step verification is recommended wherever your sensitive information is stored, including email. mailbox, social network accounts and online banking.
2024-08-29 18:29:17