Open Source Intelligence 101

As the festive season comes into full swing, shoppers will spend millions buying gifts online using their smartphone, computer, tablet, etc. Unfortunately, cyber scams are everywhere and they are especially common during Christmas time, so while you’re busy online, whether you’re using public Wi-Fi or your own, you could be at risk of cyber scams! Don’t become the next victim; keep an eye out for these 11 common Christmas cyber scams: 1. Email banking scams 2. Phishing scams 3. Public Wi-Fi scams 4. Fake free Wi-Fi 5. Fake updates 6. Ransomware and viruses 7.Unsecure websites 8. Online news scams 9. Fake virus checks 10. Phone scams 11. Cracked downloads Cybercriminals know that Christmas time is the busiest time of the year which means users will be online throughout the day using their devices to make purchases online. It is critical that you keep an eye out for scams and stay safe. And if it looks too good to be true, it probably i...

In this day and age, many people turn to the internet and various dating apps to try and find love. However, it is sad that these online dating platforms have created so many potential victims for online scammers. Online dating scams can affect both men and women, so be sure to look out for these signs! 1. Limit the info you share. Never, ever give out your financial information, this one is obvious, but what’s not so obvious is that scammers will find out about you from your other social media pages and trick you into thinking that you have so much in common. If you suddenly have so much in common with someone, it might be a red flag. 2. Keep an eye out for professions of love. Watch out for someone who confesses their love for you after only chatting for a short while as well as asking for your number so you can chat exclusively. It’s okay if you don’t want to give out your cell phone number or your email address to someone who is professing intense feelings for y...

If you have any sort of common sense you would know that there isn’t a prince or member of a royal African family that wants to send you their millions with no strings attached! However, even though this sort of scam has been ongoing for many years, the overall principals of a spam scam are still going strong and continue to grow and become more malicious each and every day. These are 4 of the most popular spam scams that like to pretend to come from an actual legitimate source, often tricking unknowing people into clicking on links and opening dangerous attachments. Fake password changes One of the most common scams is the password change alert or confirmation email that users will receive either from their bank, social media network or another trusted source. The scammers will trick the users into thinking their accounts have been hacked and urge them to click on a link or open a malicious attachment to reset their password. False bookings These scams ap...

Twitter has gone from a silly, novelty social media platform to a source of news and information that almost everyone uses! But just like other social media networks, Twitter is full of trolls and scammers who aim to harass and provoke you. You need to know how to avoid scams and trolls on Twitter, here’s how. 1. Don’t be scared to block. It is vital that you know how and when to block someone, whether they are spamming you or bullying, you need to get rid of them before you end up infected with dangerous followers. The sooner you block the spammers or trolls, the better! 2. Don’t get hacked. Twitter accounts get hacked on a regular basis, so it is vital that you keep your account safe by using a strong password that has different numbers, symbols as well as upper and lowercase letters. It is best to use two-factor authentication. Even if it takes longer, it’s worth it to keep your account safe. 3. Don’t be fooled by trending topics. Twitter created trending t...

Let’s face it, scammers are everywhere. On our social media platforms, websites, and emails and even on dating apps and sites, including the ones you may know and trust. Because of online dating scammers, you need to pay attention and look out for these four online dating scam signs… Spelling and grammar errors. If the person you are chatting to is English speaking, but their conversations are full of terrible spelling and continuous grammar errors then be wary. Obviously not everyone speaks English as their native language, but scammers often like to cross borders online in search of foreign victims, so spelling and grammar errors are a red flag. Copy and paste. Some messages and emails may read way too well if so be wary! Scammers love to steal information and content from other dating profiles and just paste them into their own so they don’t have to bother to write their own. If the text looks too perfect, run it through an internet search and see what pops up. ...

Smishing attacks aim to gain access to your private information by using SMSs to target victims. Smishing is becoming an emerging threat that continues to grow over the years. Why? Because mobile banking is becoming more and more commonly used these days. Here’s how smishing attacks work: - You will receive an SMS that seems legitimately from a popular bank or organisation asking you to contact them on a number or click on a link. - Once you contact them or click the link you will be asked to give out your personal information such as your account number, password or PIN. - The scammers now have access to your accounts, etc. and can do with them what they wish. In this day and age, people use their smartphones for basically everything, including online banking. There is a lot of private information at risk if your phone is exposed to a scammer. Here’s how to identify a smishing scam: - You are SMSed and asked to confirm your private details such as...

Online ticket scammers usually target various, popular events or destinations to try and take advantage or all the people who are desperately rushing and searching for tickets for buy. Fake tickets for various events include: - Concerts - Conferences - Plays - Sporting events - Live performances - Shows - Flight or train tickets - Other special events In general, all the tickets that these scammers sell are completely fake. Other times the tickets don’t exist, to begin with, so you pay but never receive anything. Since 2015 online ticket scams have been increasing and occurring more often. Scammers have been having a field day because of all the popular shows and events that are happening these days. Here are some tell-tale signs to lookout for: - The prices are much higher than the regular ticket price OR the prices are suspiciously low. - Before you buy tickets from a website, always check the contact details to make sure it’s legitimate. - If t...