Alarm for internet frauds
02/07/2011 15:45
119 convicts are released from Fier prison today, others benefit from Criminal Amnesty in reduced sentences 24/04 15:47
Albanian State Police gave another warning for the citizens, advising them to
be careful when using the electronic mail, because they might fall prey to frauds. For this reason, the Police have published the number
0964102688 that belongs to the Sector against Computer Crimes.
Internet and telephone are the most common ways of communication. But how safe are from such frauds? The electronic mails might receive notifications that declare the user as the winner of a breathtaking lottery in another country, and this is the most common way of internet frauds. But recently, these attempts have been made even through phone.
“There is a great concern, because the electronic mail is almost a private property where the individuals store all their data. People save many personal data there, and don’t want anyone else to see them”, says Elton Kërkulu, chief of Computer Crimes at State Police.
The newest fraudulent formula that has been reported to the police is similar to this: unknown people send electronic messages through mail by presenting themselves as representatives of companies such as Yahoo, Hotmail or others. They notify you through this e-mail that your account is old and the password must be changed. They offer you even to complete a form in which they ask you about your generalities, your identity card and new password. After the authors secure the new form, they illegally become owners of your electronic mail and use it for fraudulent purposes. Even more concerning are the e-mails through which we are notified that we are winners of a lottery or that we must help people in difficulties. These e-mails, according to Mr. Kerluku, come from Nigeria, a country that does not have a law for computer crimes, but also from Spain and Saudi Arabia.
“We have made investigations for cases when people have sent money or have made transactions to people who have benefited them illegally”, said Kërluku.
Another common computer crime that has also been fought very much by the police is that of cloned credit cards. 44 similar cases have been discovered in Albania, resulting with nine arrested persons.
“First of all, we must activate the protective firewalls and antivirus software in the computer systems that we use, and we also must install anti-spam software that filters such mails”, Kërluku clarified.
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