The harmless email can be infectious too..

“Congratulations, you have just won the CocaCola contest.  To collect your $2 million please contact us at  Co******@gm***.com “

We have all encountered such emails. Many of us have been able to ignore them. But the numbers of victims to the Nigerian frauds globally cannot be counted as a few.

The Nigerian Fraud is a classic case of financial frauds. And as the online users got more aware, the fraudsters got even smarter. Today, it is difficult to distinguish between genuine and fake email id. Through fake ids, fraudsters ask you to click on particular websites or links which lead you unauthorized websites where you are asked to divulge financial and other personal details.

For example, your PAN or AADHAR card details, bank details and even PIN number, which may land you in a financial mess. As per cybersecurity cell, about 31% mails in our mailbox are spams and needs to be avoided.

Another form classic online scam is scare-ware. For example, suppose you are searching about a particular educational course or looking out for more information about a particular disease. The activities do not require any financial transactions or personal information. Suddenly, a message pops up on your screen claiming that your computer is infested with x number of worms and bugs that need to be treated. A closer look into the message reveals that if you buy an anti-virus worth x dollar, your computer will be free of the bugs.  Even if we are amply secured, many a times we click on these links providing much of our personal information which puts us in a position where we can be threatened by fraudsters. 

How to save yourself from such frauds? 

Awareness

Being aware of such crime is the first step.  Try to read about it and keep your eyes and ears open.

Resist

Do not be lured or scared by random messages. Even if you have clicked on them by mistake and they seem to be too real try to read them carefully. You will find a disparity if it is not a genuine message.

Never divulge information

From PAN card details to PIN numbers, fraudsters ask for all kinds of information. Be very careful while using such information online.

Never give your credit card details

If a payment site does not start with HTTPS or if you are asked for you credit card details when it does not seem necessary,  then never enter such details. 

Password

Use a strong password for your email id, pin or any other medium where a password is necessary. Also, never use the auto save option. We often use obvious choices of names and numbers as passwords because we forget the difficult one. But obvious combination of names or numbers makes it easy for cybercriminals to breach your space.

Use a trusted antivirus

Always use a good anti-virus which will protect your computer and mobile. Similarly, ensure that your Wi-Fi is protected with a strong password.

Report

If you have encountered such an experience or have been prey of such a fraud immediately report it to the cybercrime cell. Every city in India has its own cybercrime cell, find out about it. Bogus website, threatening emails, hacking etc. comes under the purview of cybercrime.