We must be vigilant regarding the Internet Con Artist because eventually we will be confronted with his scams.
“A Crying Shame” is written in large headline type across the cover page of a recent issue of Consumer Reports magazine. The byline states, “Seniors and their families lose $3 billion a year to con artists. What can we do to stop them?” The magazine contains an article focused on senior citizens who, as a group, are frequently targeted by con artists and their scams - often with devastating financial consequences. Several seniors are profiled and they share their stories of being duped in the hope that they can help others and prevent future pain and loss.
One of the foundational benefits of the Internet is the worldwide communication that it enables. In many ways, the Internet has given a voice and provided a platform to people who previously did not have the means to be heard. Whether through email, a website, or a YouTube video, the cost associated with getting a message out to hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people is next to nothing. Unfortunately, the low cost of Internet-based communication has not gone unnoticed by con artists and is regularly used to scam unsuspecting victims.
The con can start as simply as an email in an inbox. With titles such as:
- “Package delivery confirmation,”
- “iTunes account disabled,”
- “<your bank name> account confirmation,” or
- “hard drive proposal requested,”
... the scam begins. The email messages seem legitimate with familiar corporate logos and official-sounding language. We’ve all been warned about providing account numbers, passwords, and credit card information based on email inquiries. However, for many, the request seems innocuous and the information is provided. After sending thousands of email messages the con artist is successful and another person is victimized.
This type of scam is a form of “social engineering.” Socially-engineered attacks take advantage of our societal comfort with accepted paradigms. In other words, the power of the con is the inherent innocence and normalcy of the message. We’ve all ordered something over the Internet that has been followed with package delivery information, right? Wasn’t this package delivery information shared in the form of an email? The danger of socially-engineered cons is that typical digital security tools (ie., firewalls, content filters, virus protection, malware prevention) are almost powerless to prevent them. For example, someone can have the best home security system that money can buy. However, if the front door is willingly opened to a burglar and they are invited in, the system is powerless to prevent the crime that follows.
The best defense against socially-engineered attacks is education and personal vigilance.
Everyone has a certain amount of natural skepticism and this can be important in avoiding scams. If you receive a suspicious email or other message, talk to your friends and coworkers and get their opinions. Call suspicious companies directly and ask for confirmation. Do NOT click links or open attachments in suspicious email messages.
Much like the senior citizens mentioned in the Consumer Reports article at the beginning of this post, information sharing is key to helping others. The following information was shared with clients of our managed network service (TechCare) in an attempt to educate them regarding scams known to be circulating on the Internet. It is important to heed the advice of others who have been duped: think twice before assuming that you cannot be tricked and guard against the assumption that scams only happen to other people. We must be vigilant regarding the Internet con artist because eventually we will be confronted with his scams.
Have you been confronted with an Internet scam or suspicious email? Please share your example in the comments below and how you dealt with the challenge. Others will benefit from this important information.