Cyber scams and Internet fraud: Here's what to look out for

Technology is such a huge part of our everyday lives - just look at how it's helped everyone stay connected during the 2020 lockdown. But it's easy to get caught up in cyber scams, and that's something we've unfortunately learned recently here at KISS.

You might have noticed this already if you’re a regular follower of ours, but our Instagram account has been hacked, which we’re really sad about. We’re working with the lovely people at Instagram to get it sorted as quickly as we can – but we wanted to let you know what was going on as soon as we could.

Your safety is important to us of course, so if you receive any messages or links from us on Instagram, please do not click on them! Any content posted is not currently controlled by us so we apologise for any unsuitable content if anything strange does come up in the near future.

We will keep you posted on it all – and we've also looked into some useful resources on cyber security if it’s helpful for you.

What is Internet fraud?

The Metropolitan Police say: 'Online fraud, also known as cyber crime, covers all crimes that take place online, are committed using computers, or are assisted by online technology.'

What different types of cyber scams are there?

This can include identity fraud, account takeovers and online shopping fraud amongst many others. This could happen through your emails, your social media accounts or a fake website. For more information on types of fraud and how to protect yourself, visit Action Fraud.

What is Phishing?

Phishing is a method used by hackers to obtain sensitive information out of victims. This could be passwords, credit card details or personal details. It can happen through emails or social media sites, and usually looks like a legitimate email or post. For more information on Phishing, and what to do if you think you've been a victim of it, head to the NCSC here.

How can I keep safe from Internet fraud?

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have offered six top tips to keep yourself protected.

1) Create a separate password for your email account

2) Create a strong password using three totally random and unique words

3) Save passwords into your browser

4) Use two-factor authentication

5) Make sure all your devices are updated

6) Turn on backup for your devices

For more information, visit Cyber Aware from the NCSC. There are also some useful tips by the Metropolitan Police.

Ensure your browser is secure

It's quite simple to make sure you're using a secure browser if you're on the Internet. If you use Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge or Safari browsers, you should see a little padlock to the left hand side of the URL at the top of your page - this indicates that your connection to the site is secure and encrypted. For more information on managing your web browser security, head to the NCSC here.

• internet fraud