Information and communications technology (ICT) is making the world we live in much smaller by connecting regions around the world. This connectivity allows people in developing countries to acquire first world knowledge, receive modern medical care and introduce mobile commerce and banking to locations with limited or nonexistent financial institutions. While the benefits ICT provides are almost too numerous to count, the technology is also used by criminals in these and other regions to take advantage of people who are not computer savvy or are too trusting.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC's) SCAMwatch, a website that increases awareness of scams to consumers and small businesses, is warning people in Australia to be on the lookout regarding a new scam that is targeting smartphones and tablets.
The scammers pretend to be technical specialists and try to convince owners of these devices to provide them access because their security has been compromised. The offer is then made to fix the problem for a fee.
These types of scams have been used around the world with personal computers and laptops, but as the number of smart phones and tablets continue to outsell personal computers, they are increasingly becoming the targets of many different types of scams.
While this type of scam will not work on someone that has some basic computer knowledge, there are millions of people that do not, and that is what these criminals prey upon. Acquiring basic knowledge of the device you own only takes a short time, but it could end up saving you a lot of money and frustration.
Some very basic steps you can take in order to avoid being taken by these scammers:
- Never give remote access to your computer or mobile devices to a stranger;
- If you do not know who called you, do NOT give any personal information, whether it is financial or otherwise;
- If you have not requested your device to be serviced and you receive a call to fix it, hang up immediately;
- Only purchase your security applications for your computers and mobile devices from a trusted source.
As with any security measure, it is extremely important to periodically update the steps you have taken to implement the measures. This includes changing passwords, updating the operating system and virus definitions as well as keeping yourself informed by just Googling the latest scams or security threats.
Edited by Rory J. Thompson