October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Spokesperson for the RCMP, Keely Grasser, says it’s important to be aware of circulating cybercrimes. She notes several common ones they encounter, beginning with phishing scams.
“Phishing scams are when scammers use emails, text messages or social media posts or messages to send what appear to be legitimate websites but when you click on these links, it could lead you to a compromised website or to a website that may urge you to input some of your personal information which then could be stolen.”
Another common cybercrime is financial extortion which is affecting youth as well as adults. This is a form of blackmail where money is demanded under threat of sharing sensitive images. Grasser says this has increased with the rising use of social media.
She moves on to discuss a range of different cybercrimes related to cryptocurrency.
“Sometimes it may be related to your employment. They pretend to be an owner of a business or a manager and they encourage you to withdraw cryptocurrency from an ATM or to deposit money in a cryptocurrency ATM and it's a scam. Another thing that we see is a new version of the grandparent scam where someone pretends to be either an authority figure or a loved one and states that they're in immediate payment or money and they ask for that in cryptocurrency.”
Grasser says it can also be as simple as cybercriminals getting people to invest in fake cryptocurrencies and therein receiving nothing in return.
When regarding protection against cybercrime, Grasser emphasizes being attentive to all sent emails, texts, and attachments.
“Don't click on links or respond to unsolicited messages that you're receiving by text, by email, on social media. Don't download attachments that come through your text or email. Another thing that we suggest is look at the content of a message when you receive it. Are there spelling errors? Are there things that look suspicious about it? Because if something looks suspicious it often is.”
“Don't trust emails just because the email address looks legitimate. Take a real good look at the sender. Is it just a letter or number off from the legitimate email address of that institution or person?”
She reminds that government agencies will never ask for funds via email, e-transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. She also recommends ensuring all passwords are complex and unique, and using multi-factor authentication wherever it is offered.
“Consider using a password management system. On iPhone for instance, you can have the device create a complex and secure password that's individual to each service that you're using. And it will auto-populate it so you don't have to remember those long phrases.”
She encourages being mindful of all personal information posted online and being aware of privacy settings on social media.
Keep in mind that by default the settings probably provide strangers a little bit more information than you're comfortable with. Make sure you review each one.”
Grasser finishes with recommendations for cybercrime protection within personal devices.
“I would encourage people to ensure that your operating system, whether that's on your computer or on your phone, is always up to date. For computers, you should be using a security solution like an antivirus that stops spam and stops malicious links or attachments from downloading to your computer.”