With the invention of every new and useful technology, mischief goes along. This happens in the internet space as well in the form of multiple internet frauds. The more conveniences internet provides, the more ways for someone to abuse our rights. Here are a few examples.
1.Misuse of personal information
People’s emails get hacked every day. Usually this is due to their poor knowledge in basic internet security. For instance the following virus has become very popular. You get an email message from someone you know – friend/colleague. The message says something like:
I send you this file. Open it.
There is a link for some URL address provided. You click on the link and the web site asks you to confirm your email’s username and password in order to open/download the file. You give them reluctantly, because you know this person. The moment you hit enter, hackers already have your login information. They use it to log in and change your password and take control of your account. From then they take everyone from your contact list and send them the exact same message from your email. This virus spreads rapidly.
What could be the consequences:
- Loss of important information.
- Someone else owning your important or confidential information.
- Loss of money due to missed deadlines or loss of information.
- Loss of customers/partners/new and old contacts.
2.Misuse of your money
This is usually the most goal for hackers – to get your money. People seeking ways to take away your finances get more creative every day. There are multiple schemes and tricks. For example, someone makes an exact replica of you banks web site and uses a similar domain. He then sends you an email message with the logo of the bank and a similar contact email to their official one. The email says your account has an issue and that you should do something “important” for your online banking to continue working. It gives a specific link where you can go to fix the issue. You click on the link and it asks for your username and password. Because the email has the official logo and the site looks exactly like the one are using, you enter your login information and press enter. Once you press enter hackers have your access information and use it to login, change you password and then transfer all your money into their accounts.
3.Misuse of your rights
All platforms that have some kind of registration or gather data about users are obliged to have terms and conditions placed on a easily accessible place on their web sites. Many times these terms and conditions are not designed according to your basic constitutional rights. Without reading then and agreeing with them, you give your permission to violate your rights. If we have to be honest, we do not have the time to sit through and read all of the terms and conditions we agree with. Still if you have something important to do on a certain web site, read their long terms and conditions. Big portals usually have a team of legal consultants when creating their terms and conditions, but smaller ones just copy some standard paragraphs.