Cyber Fraud – Meaning, Definition and Preventive Measures
Technological advances have always been a boon and a bane for humanity. There are always some people who abuse and exploit technology and create serious problems for the rest of the population. One such invention is the computer which has become an integral part of every person’s life in recent years.
There is a growing reliance on computers not only by the common man but also by almost all business and professional agencies. It is widely used by security and intelligence forces, as well as research centers. The widespread use of this device has also led to increased misuse and abuse of the facility. The invention of computers and their continual updating has opened up new avenues for scammers and fraudulent individuals. The abuse of information technology and related electronic media has given rise to the appearance of a range of crimes that have very peculiar characteristics.
Definition of scams and cyber crimes:
Cyber scams can be effectively defined as “illegal acts in which the equipment that transforms the information, be it a computer or a mobile phone, is a tool, a target, or both.” It can also be called “A crime in which the perpetrator develops a scheme using one or more elements of the Internet to deprive a person of property or any interest, estate or right through a false representation of fact, either by providing information misleading or withholding information.
Cybercrime refers to any crime involving a computer and a network. More precisely, it refers to the criminal exploitation of the internet. Other definition of cybercrime refers to it thus; “Online theft of credit card number, expiration date and other information for criminal use is cyber fraud.” It can also be defined as any type of intentional deception involving the internet. This can include fraud and scams that occur in fake chat rooms, message boards, and websites, as well as through emails. It usually occurs in the form of deceptive requests and fraudulent transactions.
Importance of cyber crime:
Cyber scams are emerging as a real threat to users and have become high profile in nature. They can encompass all aspects of an individual’s life and include illegal acts such as hacking, copyright infringement, invasion of privacy, and child pornography. These crimes have a lasting effect on the victims, especially if it involves identification or personal financial information. Sometimes it becomes really difficult to prove the identity of a specific perpetrator of the crime, which can have a negative impact on the user.
Types of Computer Crimes or Scams:
There are a large number of illegal activities that fall under the purview of cybercrime, but more broadly, they can be divided into two classifications: crimes that directly target computing networks or devices, and secondarily, network-facilitated scams. computing aimed at any user who is independent. of the author of the scam.
Preventive measures:
Most of the scams are done through emails. This method is very effective as the user is invited to provide critical information such as usernames, passwords, credit card information or other types of vital information. There are still other methods of cyber fraud found on the Internet. To escape from these types of scams, it is necessary to follow some basic things and pay attention to preventive measures such as:
• Never send money to people who have contacted you by email or on the Internet.
• Never reveal your identity and vital financial information to strangers
• Never respond to links from organizations of which you are not a member.
• Never reply to or click on a link that declares that you are the winner of some type of lottery or competition that you have never entered.
