Tag: cyber crime

Sharp rise in DVLA scams

DVLA has revealed a 20% rise in scams reported to their contact centre, with 1,538 reports about suspected vehicle tax scams during the last 3 months of 2019.

DVLA has released pictures of some of the cons being used by scammers to trick motorists into handing over their money.

It comes as new figures show a 20% increase in scams reported to DVLA, with 1,538 reports made to agency in the last three months of 2019.

The reports of suspected web, email, text or social media scams were up from 1,275 in the same period in 2018. DVLA has released the images of recent scams reported to help motorists be aware of what to look out for and issue a clear warning that if something offered online or by text message appears too good to be true, then it almost certainly is.

Scammers are targeting unsuspecting customers with links to services that don’t exist and messages of tax refunds, all of which are fake.

The reports also show that driver and vehicle documents are for sale on the internet. DVLA is advising anyone with concerns about any calls, texts, emails or suspicious activity online, to always report these to the police via Action Fraud immediately.

DVLA chief information security officer David Pope said: “We’ve released examples of real life scams to help motorists understand when a scam is at work. These websites and messages are designed to trick people into believing they can access services that simply don’t exist such as removing penalty points from driving licences.

“All our tax refunds are generated automatically after a motorist has told us they have sold, scrapped or transferred their vehicle to someone else so we don’t ask for anyone to get in touch with us to claim their refund.

“We want to protect the public and if something seems too good to be true, then it almost certainly is. The only trusted source of DVLA information is GOV.UK

“It is also important to remember never to share images on social media that contain personal information, such as your driving licence and vehicle documents.”

A spokesperson for Action Fraud said: “This can be a stressful time of year, sorting out finances for the year ahead. Fraudsters are aware of this and are using different ways to trick people.

“Taking a couple of minutes to familiarise yourself with a few simple online safety tips can be significant in protecting yourself from becoming a victim of online fraud.

“You should always be cautious when sharing personal information online and avoid being scammed by only using GOV.UK for government services online, such as the DVLA.

“If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, please report it to us.”

Stay safe shopping online

13 Ways to Stay Safe when Online Shopping 

Security advice to help protect British shoppers against cyber-crime has been released, as an increasing number shun the high street in favour of buying online.

Internet shopping specialists from NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have revealed their 13 top tips to help UK consumers stay safe when shopping on the web, after it was revealed that nearly 3,000 high street stores shut in the first half of 2019.

From using a credit card and keeping software up to date, to writing down complicated passwords and making up answers to security questions, online shoppers could avoid becoming a cyber criminal’s next victim by following the guidance.

A spokesperson for NetVoucherCodes.co.uk said: “Many people find shopping online so much more convenient than visiting high street stores – you’ve got all of the world’s goods and services at your fingertips.

“But browsing the web can be a security minefield for consumers – a computer virus, hacker or fraud could be just one click away.

“So to help Brits shop online with greater peace of mind, we’ve revealed the different measures you can take to stay safe when buying something on the internet.”

Here is the NetVoucherCodes.co.uk advice:

1. Use a credit card 

If you purchase online using a debit card and it turns out to be a scam there’s usually no way to retrieve your money, but fraudulent charges must be reimbursed by credit card companies.

Check your statements regularly, just in case a purchase you didn’t make gets through the card provider’s safety net and you need to dispute it. This could also help if a purchase is shows up different to what you ordered, damaged or doesn’t arrive at all.

2. Make up security answers

When creating an account with online shopping sites, you might be asked to set up password reset security questions to confirm your identity.

Rather than entering the real town you were born in or mother’s maiden name, enter false answers and write them down if you can’t remember. This makes it much harder for cyber criminals who might be trying to gather information on you.

3. Only fill out required fields

Don’t offer up any more personal information that is necessary to complete an online purchase.

The required fields are usually starred or highlighted when checking out – it’s usually wise to leave the rest blank.

4. Never save information

Allowing even the most reputable of websites to store your payment or address information is unnecessary.

Don’t say yes when your browser suggests saving any passwords either and always log out when you’ve finished shopping.

5. Change passwords often

Regularly change between complicated, hard to guess, alphanumeric passwords that also contain symbols, even if you have to write them all down somewhere secure at home. Keep them different for each site you use too.

Using the same, simple but memorable password for every website for years, such as a pet’s name, is asking for trouble when online shopping.

6. Look for security indicators 

A web address (or URL) that begins with ‘HTTPS’ are secure – those without the ‘S’, ‘HTTP’, may not be.

Other signs of shopping site security to look out for could include a closed padlock or complete key, possibly green, alongside the URL, next to the search bar or elsewhere around the screen.

7. Avoid public Wi-Fi

Entering personal information such as credit card details, passwords or home address while using free public Wi-Fi hotspots is dangerous as your data won’t be protected by encryption and could vulnerable to hackers.

8. Update your computer

Using an older version of a popular internet browser, operating system or anti-virus software on your computer means that you’ll be missing out on important security updates, which could leave you exposed when browsing the web.

9. Be extra careful on mobiles

Most mobile phones won’t have the same level of anti-virus protection as laptop or desktop computers so extra vigilance is required, particularly around shortened mobile-friendly URLs.

Mobile devices are also more likely to be stolen, so make sure any payment details are passcode or fingerprint protected.

10. Avoid email links

Rather than clicking on potentially suspect links to shopping sites that you see on social media, other websites or in emails, search for the website yourself.

This helps to make sure you browse the authentic site. If you’re getting a lot of spam emails, consider setting up a dedicated online shopping only email address.

11. Leave badly designed websites

If a shopping site appears to be out of date, has a strange URL, comes with lots of pop ups, or is dominated by cheap, irrelevant or overseas adverts, the page could be dodgy and worth exiting before it’s too late.

12. Research and read reviews

When considering spending on a new site that you haven’t used before, it can be useful to browse forums and social media to see what experience others have had of shopping there.

If you can find a real physical address and verifiable contact details for the company you intend to make a purchase from, they’re probably legitimate.

 13. Trust your instincts 

Just as you would when shopping on the high street, if you feel like a website is requesting too much personal information or could harm your computer with viruses, close it.

If in any doubt, stick to shopping with sites you know and trust. Remember, if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.

How secure is your password?

  • National Cyber Security Centre’s (CSC’s) first ‘UK Cyber Survey’ shows 42% of Brits expect to lose money to online fraud
  • Breach analysis finds 23.2 million victim accounts worldwide used 123456 as password
  • Global password risk list published to disclose passwords already known to hackers
  • NCSC urges using 3 random words as passwords on the eve of CYBERUK 2019 event

Continue reading How secure is your password?

Edinburgh Napier: Le Tour de Hack cyber event is coming to town

Students and young professionals join to shine spotlight on cyber security

Students and young professionals will get the chance to test their cyber skills when a leading industry event returns to Edinburgh next month. Continue reading Edinburgh Napier: Le Tour de Hack cyber event is coming to town

Black Friday cyber crime warning for Scotland

  • Online fraud victims in Scotland say they have lost an average £1594.42 each
  • 50% of victims say they have had money taken from their bank account, 13% have had their credit and debit cards cloned

A fifth (18%) of shoppers in Scotland say they have been victims of Internet fraud amid continued high levels of online crime and low levels of cyber security.

As Black Friday and Cyber Monday are expected to kick off an explosion in online shopping ahead of Christmas, with consumers expected to spend £8bn on deals, too many shoppers are still not protecting themselves online.

As a result, online shoppers are losing money due to a combination of internet scams, weak passwords and misplaced trust in websites.

New research from Sophos by Atomik Research shows Scottish consumers remain at risk of online cyber-attacks as they make some basic security mistakes:

·         Over half (56%) of survey respondents don’t choose a different password for each online account, which makes them easier to attack one step ahead of cyber criminals.

·         15% admit to using family members’ birthdays and pet names as passwords despite warnings that such information is readily accessible online – giving hackers vital clues to access data.

Half (50%) of those surveyed who had been victims of fraud in Scotland say they have had money taken from their bank accounts without permission and 13% have had their credit and debit cards cloned.

Two in five (39%) online shoppers in Scotland say they have clicked on an apparently genuine email link that turned out to be fake and a third (32%) say they have fallen victim to a phishing scam – where cyber criminals trick their victims into handing over user names, passwords and credit card details.

Adam Bradley, UK&I Country Manager at Sophos said: “The proliferation of online shopping over the past few years means it has become increasingly easy for cyber criminals to harvest data and personal information about consumers. Everyone loves a bargain, especially in the run up to Christmas, but Brits online need to make it harder for fraudsters by taking a few, simple online security steps.”

Sophos recommends taking the following online precautions before hunting for bargains over Black Friday and Cyber Monday:

·         Use a web filter. Web filters, like the one included in Sophos Home, stop you from browsing to websites that are known to be used for scams, phishing or spreading malware.

·         Use a password manager. Password managers create, remember and enter passwords for you, and they won’t enter your password into a phishing site, no matter how convincing it looks.

·         If it looks too good to be true, it is. Scams make wild claims and use familiar brands or friends and family to make them seem trustworthy. Stay alert – if something seems off, it probably is.

·         Check your bank statements regularly. You can reduce the chance that you’ll become the victim of a scam but you can’t eliminate it, so make a habit of checking how your money’s spent.

Cyber Academy joins forces with Satisnet to fight security threats

A NEW cyber security project will allow companies to train staff to combat attacks like the one which saw NHS systems infected with malicious software last year. The SOCLAB training infrastructure at Edinburgh Napier’s Cyber Academy will let workers get to grips with ransomware and other threats in a safe and isolated environment. Continue reading Cyber Academy joins forces with Satisnet to fight security threats