NORTH KENT MIND – COMPUTER GROUP WEBINAR SESSION 1 HANDOUT (ONLINE/INTERNET )

In this session, we will be covering online fraud () and how to protect you against it.

What is Online/ Internet Fraud?

Internet fraud is a type of fraud or , which makes use of the Internet and could involve hiding of information or providing incorrect information for the purpose of tricking victims out of money, property, and inheritance. The most common online include:

Greeting Card Scams Whether it’s Christmas or Easter, we all get all kind of holiday greeting cards in our email inbox that seem to be coming from a friend or someone we care. Greeting card frauds are another old Internet scams, If you open such an email and click on the card, you usually end up with malicious software that is being downloaded and installed on your operating system. The malware may be an annoying program that will launch pop- ups with ads, unexpected windows all over the screen. If this happens, your computer may also start sending private data and financial information to a fraudulent server controlled by IT criminals.

Greeting Card Scam Example:

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Phishing Email Scams is a type of online scam where criminals send an email that appears to be from a legitimate company and ask you to provide sensitive information. This is usually done by including a link that will appear to take you to the company’s website to fill in your information – but the website is a clever fake and the information you provide goes straight to the crooks behind the fraud.

Phishing Email Scam Example:

Online Dating (Romance) Scams Online dating apps are very popular these days and they are a great way for people to meet their future partners.

A usually takes place on social dating networks, like Facebook, or by sending a simple email to the potential target, and affect thousands of victims from all over the world.

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Online Dating (Romance) Scam Example:

Fake Antivirus Software Scams If you’ve ever seen one of those pop-ups telling you that your computer is in dire need of antivirus rescue, you’ve come across this scam. Also known as scareware, these fake antivirus ads want you to panic and pay in order to secure what you believe to be the solution to your malware problems.

Some creators of fake antivirus apps manage to list their scam software in legitimate download portals. When you install them on your device, they’ll appear as though they’re performing virus scans, but they don’t actually have any antivirus capabilities. Instead, they’re adware in disguise, created solely for the purpose of showing you ads when you use them.

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Fake Antivirus Software Scam Example:

What should you do if you have been a victim of fraud?

 Immediately report any lost or stolen cards or suspected fraudulent use of your card to your card company. You should also report lost or stolen books or any missing . and companies have 24-hour emergency numbers printed on account statements.  Report the offence to the relevant or card company, which will then be responsible for reporting the matter to the police. If the theft of your cards or cheques involved another – for example, if your bag was also stolen – you should make sure it is reported to the police.  Remember to keep a record of all communications.

For a more comprehensive list of online frauds please visit: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/a-z-of-fraud/online-fraud):

 Account takeover  Internet dialler scam  Advance fee frauds  Investment fraud and land  Bank card and banking scams  Business directory fraud  Loan scams  Business opportunity fraud  Lottery scams  Charity donation fraud  Mass marketing fraud  Clairvoyant or psychic scams  Miracle health scams   Money muling   Online shopping fraud

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 Fraud recovery fraud  Plastic card fraud  Health scams  Rental fraud  Identity fraud  Romance scams  Internet auction fraud  Work from home scams

Common Terms Used

Anti-virus - software used on your computer to prevent, detect, and remove malware, including computer viruses, worms, and trojan horses. Some examples of anti-virus software are McAfee, Norton, and Kapersky.

Keyblogger - sometimes also called a keystroke logger or system monitor, is a type of surveillance technology used to monitor and record each keystroke typed on a specific computer's keyboard.

Malware - or malicious software, is any program or file that is harmful to a computer user. Types of malware can include computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses and .

Scareware - malicious computer programs designed to trick a user into buying and downloading unnecessary and potentially dangerous software, such as fake antivirus protection.

Trohan - a , or trojan, is any malware which misleads users of its true intent. The term is derived from the Ancient Greek story of the deceptive Trojan Horse that led to the fall of the city of Troy.

Worms - is a malicious, self-replicating program that can spread throughout a network without human assistance.

Additional Courses Available

North Kent Mind is offering people the opportunity to learn basic Microsoft Office and Internet skills (over a 12 week period). Computer Club has a friendly, relaxed atmosphere where learners can study at their own pace. Held every Friday at the Dartford Adult Education Centre (Summerhill Road, Dartford DA1 2LP) 12:30 until 2:30. If you are interested please contact us on 01322 291380 or email [email protected]

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