A Message from the Mie Prefectural Police: Protecting Yourself from Cyber Crime

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A Message from the Mie Prefectural Police: Protecting Yourself from Cyber Crime

 Avoid becoming the victim of online banking fraud

Online banking fraud involves an individual gaining access to your online banking account and transferring funds to a different account. This type of fraud has become more and more common across the country. In 2012, victims of online banking fraud lost a total of approximately 50 million yen. In 2013, that figure jumped to a record high of over 1.4 billion yen, making this an increasingly serious issue. In Mie, there have been 21 cases of online banking fraud, resulting in a total loss of over 25 million yen.

Recently, online banking fraud is mostly conducted through “fishing sites” and malware. These methods lead individuals to a fake login screen that records the information entered. Scammers then use the personal information obtained through the fake login screen to gain access to the individual’s account and transfer funds.

To avoid becoming the victim of online banking fraud, keep the following in mind.

○　Do not open files or click weblinks attached to messages from suspicious or unfamiliar email addresses.

○　If you are prompted for your personal information after logging into your bank’s online banking site, or are asked to provide your login information for testing or security purposes, do not enter any personal information and contact your financial institution immediately.

○　Only use online banking software provided by your financial institution

○　Use temporary passwords or one-time passwords provided by your financial institution, when applicable.

○　When requesting a one-time password, arrange to have the password sent to your mobile phone, not your email address.

Security measures for smartphone users

Smartphones have become increasingly common in a relatively short period of time, and are now an indispensable way of accessing the internet. Smartphones are convenient, but expose users to risk when used carelessly. There are applications used by scammers that can gain administrator access to your smartphone and send information to third parties.

Smartphone users should keep the following in mind.

○　As with your computer, be sure to take security measures and use the newest versions of operating systems and applications.

○　Do not modify your smartphone

○　Only purchase applications from trustworthy sites.

○　Research the developer of an application before downloading.

○　Check the privacy and access settings of an application after installing.

Other tips

There is a great deal of illegal and harmful content on the internet. To avoid exposing yourself to risk on the internet, do not post personal information, malicious content or offensive material on social networking websites or online forums.

Also, photos taken with mobile phones and smartphones may have GPS information attached to them, depending on your phone settings. This reveals the location where the picture was taken and, depending on where you are when the photo is taken, may reveal the location of your residence. To protect your privacy and the privacy of others, please think carefully before uploading these pictures to the internet.

Please keep the aforementioned in mind to avoid becoming the victim of internet crime.