CyBer CriMe Is A ComMon Thing ThEse DaYs !

Hey Everyone, I hope you are all fine and doing great. This post is my entry for the weekly featured content in the #Hivelearners community. Today's topic to write about is Cyber Security

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The internet was invented on January 1, 1983, and after its invention and transformation into its modern form, a new type of fraud began, which we call cyber fraud. Through this fraud, a person sitting anywhere in the world can access your information and steal your data or money with the help of that information. Nowadays, this has become very common. I have personally witnessed many such incidents in my life where either I, my family, or my friends became victims of cybercrime and had to bear significant financial losses.

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The first fraud that occurred about 20 years ago happened like this: one morning, my father received a call on his number, and the caller claimed that he had won a significant prize. To claim the prize, certain things were required, and he needed to follow some steps. The caller assured us that the prize would be delivered to our home after completing these steps. For some reason, our entire family believed this and answered every question the caller asked. Eventually, the caller said that to claim the prize, we needed to send him some money. If we couldn't send money, we could send a mobile balance instead. Somehow, we were completely mesmerized and didn't question it. We sent the balance he requested and started waiting for the prize. Believe it or not, we are still waiting to this day. As soon as the balance reached him, he switched off his number, and we were left in shock, holding our heads in regret. Thankfully, it wasn't a huge amount, but a loss is still a loss. I still feel bad about how we fell for his words.

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Another incident happened to one of my friends about 5-6 years ago, when we were new to cryptocurrency. My friend had invested all his savings in crypto, and his assets were stored in a MetaMask wallet, which, as we all know, is a non-custodial and secure wallet. The computer he was using was from a reputable firm and had all kinds of security systems installed. We never imagined anything could go wrong.

One day, while he was making some transactions, he checked his wallet and found that it was empty. His crypto assets, which were worth around $15k-16k at that time, had vanished. His wallet was empty. Somehow, his information had been leaked, allowing hackers/scammers to steal his assets. We still haven't figured out how it happened. I asked him thoroughly if he had mistakenly entered his seed phrase on any website, and he said no. He is a Chartered Accountant, and we all know how careful Chartered Accountants are about such things. It remains a mystery that has yet to be solved.

In 2018, I opened my first bank account, and I had some money in it. I received a call that appeared to be from the bank, as my phone indicated that it was a call from the bank. I answered the call, and the person on the other end said he was calling from my bank and that my credit card had expired. He said I needed to provide some codes to get a new card, otherwise, my card would be deactivated. He accurately provided my card details, which made me believe the call was genuinely from the bank.

The caller asked me for the OTP code that would be sent to my number so they could issue me a new card. Trusting him, I gave him the code I received on my phone. It didn't occur to me that bank representatives never ask for your OTP. The caller then said that another OTP would be sent, and I needed to provide that as well. Somehow, my sixth sense kicked in, and I didn't give him the second OTP. I told him that if there was any issue with my card, I would visit the branch in the morning and resolve it with the manager.

The caller started pleading with me to provide the OTP, but I refused. I was now convinced that this was a scam call, and if I had given him the second OTP, all the money in my account would have been stolen.

Another incident happened with my younger sister. She received a similar call and provided her OTP codes. She had $250 in her account, and it was stolen. After this happened, she called me and told me what had happened. I scolded her and told her that she should have informed me as soon as she received the call.