“SMSCaster.com: ATM Blocked, dear customer your ATM card has been blocked due to BVN systems error, kindly call Customer Care 08066141253.”
Personally, it’s astonishing to see a 20-year-old female friend of mine fall victim because of the above message. It’s a different ball game if it’s a primitive man or woman in the village falls for that.
Funny enough, she called the scammer who I describe as a local hacker to inquire how her ATM was blocked. She disclosed her account details, including her ATM PIN and eventually, she was ripped off the sum of N9,000.
If it were to be millions she had in that account, it would have been the same story. That’s a lesson for her and for others who chooses to learn, because internet scam is on the groove.
We seldom receive this kind of text messages, as if it a genuine SMS from our bank customer care service representatives, informing us that our ATM has been blocked. I still have messages like that in my inbox. When I receive such, I just overlook it, alternatively call the idiot that wants to scam me and let him or her know that I have been on top of the game.even before he was recruited.
In one of my blog posts, I mentioned that sometimes, it’s good to fall a victim, so we can start learning fast about the threats posed by cybercriminals.
Sadly, we even make the entire scamming process easy for them by disclosing confidential information.
Why would someone disclose account details and PIN (Personal Identification Number) to a stranger, just like my female friend desperately did.
On our part, we have made it a responsibility to continuously educate and enlighten our audience on issues relating to internet scam and cybersecurity. But we wouldn’t force people to read up these insightful pieces.
During our conversation, as tears were rolling down her cheeks, the young lad said, she had revealed to the scammer her Sterlin Bank account number and her ATM password or PIN.
First, it’s an error to disclose your PIN or password; we have always sung it as a song on this platform. Your password or PIN is personal, confidential and should be treated as such. Including other sensitive information associated with your finance.
Moreover, there are other forms of online fraud that are quite similar in nature, but they are not sophisticated enough to tramp a security conscious person.
For instance, when you receive a text message or email claiming that you have won a lottery or requesting you to supply basic information in exchange for a prize. You should understand that you never played any lottery, let alone of winning. They usually text or email their targeted victims, that is the first step, and later, the target is contacted via a telephone call.
Importantly, you have to be indifferent about suspicious messages like that, because unnecessary follow-up might land you where you wouldn’t find pleasing. You don’t need to be desperate and curious about suspicious messages.
Meanwhile, internet crime such as identity theft online fraud, according to Internet Crime Complaint Centre stood at $782.1 million in 2013 and this figure, I believe had increased in the last few years.
Let’s not add to this alarming figure by being security conscious. I hope you find this helpful, let me know your thoughts.
