Tips for protecting yourself against cybercrime

The police show tireless commitment in pursuing the criminals; However, identifying the perpetrators is sometimes difficult because the perpetrators operate in organized structures. It is all the more important to be aware of the risks of cybercrime and, ideally, to recognize an attempted crime in advance and therefore not to become a victim of it. The following phenomena were particularly noticeable in 2022:

Tips for protecting yourself against cybercrime

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“Daughter/Son (ToSo)” scam

You receive a message from your supposed daughter/son saying that his/her cell phone is broken and that he/she has a new cell phone number or that he/she is in an awkward position.
Since access to the e-banking account is also not possible, you are asked to make an urgent money transfer for him/her. Anyone who assumes that their own child is in need is wrong.
The perpetrators take advantage of your care and willingness to help and try to get you to make a referral. ( CONTINUE READING… )

Prevention tips:
You can receive the messages mentioned via SMS, WhatsApp, Signal, but also other messenger services. Contact your child on the number you already know/saved.

Fake shops

Professionally designed but fake online shops advertise irresistible bargains.
The perpetrators even take advantage of the increased heating and living costs and try to lure their victims with supposedly cheap offers of wood and pellets, but also with attractive loan conditions. ( CONTINUE READING… )

Prevention tips:
– When it comes to “particularly cheap offers”, pay attention to the authenticity of the online shop.
To do this, check the existence of an imprint and any certificates. – Do not place any orders under time pressure (offers that are only valid for a few minutes, etc.) and exercise particular caution when making transfers to foreign accounts.
– If necessary, carry out research on the online shop in question, for example on www.google (keywords: +scam, +fraud, +problem) www.watchlist.at

Phish

Fraudsters have been sending messages to their victims digitally for years.
Whether it's an email from a bank, a tempting competition via SMS, or a message about a package delivery - the manifestations are varied, but always have the same goal: spying on your personal data. ( CONTINUE READING… )

Prevention tips:
– Pay attention to the wording of the message; these are often impersonal and have many spelling and grammatical errors.
– Do not use any links sent to you to log into your online banking account or similar.
– If in doubt, contact the bank/company that sent you the email by telephone and make sure that the message is authentic before taking any further action.
– Save the blocking hotline of your bank/credit card company in your cell phone in case of emergencies.

Finally, it is advisable to be careful with your personal data, especially on the Internet, and only make it accessible to third parties if really necessary.

Source: press release / Upper Austria police