As we approach Black Friday and the busiest online shopping period of the year, the industry leader in digital innovation, Liberty IT, is encouraging the Northern Ireland public to err on the side of caution and be more cyber security aware.
The Office for National Statistics recently revealed that there were 2.7 million incidences of cyber-related fraud targeting organisations and private individuals in the UK in the 12 months to March 2022 and Liberty IT Director of Engineering, Simon Cowan, is urging people to take extra steps to protect their details.
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He said: “Fraudsters and criminal gangs are creating ever more sophisticated ways for people to inadvertently share information. They are leveraging current news stories, for example, the current cost of living crisis and the fuel and heat allowance, as they know people are anxious about both, they then play on this anxiety and unfortunately, people let their guard down and this is when their details are stolen.”
Thieves are using a variety of phishing methods to steal personal information – the most common are email, text and calls, and these people are smart in their efforts. You could receive an email or a text that may seem like it’s from a company you are familiar with. By completing, what looks like an email from a trusted retailer, you are handing over this information to scammers.
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Liberty IT has detailed some key points for people to be aware of and steps to take:
• Financial institutions will never ring customers out of the blue asking for your bank details. If you get a call from a bank, insurer or store and you’re in doubt about it, hang up and contact them directly.
• Make use of registered banking apps and sites that have you authenticate your details
• Delete any emails which look suspicious
• Never click on any links in emails that are in your Junk email folder. It’s called junk for a reason!
Source: Written from press release
