Internet Safety: Easier Than It Seems

By CALEB O’CONNOR

The internet is a staple of everyday life. But since 2020, we’ve seen a massive change in its use and the difficulties we run into.

These range from online shopping scams to demands of immediate password change to being told your computer will be frozen if you don’t pay.

Thankfully, internet safety is easy when you know what to look for.

Scams

First off, why does this happen? How do people like this get a hold of your email or phone number? There are a few ways;

• Some companies sell data to data brokers, who in turn sell this data in illicit spaces to people who aim to scam.

• Some scammers use harvesting software to collect data from websites and gather it into lists that are sold off.

• Data breaches and leaks. Illicit sources getting your details is not the end of the world, however!

Most often, scams appeal with a sense of urgency;

“Your card has been frozen because of suspicious activity”

“Action Required: your payment was declined”

“Google: Password Expiration Notice”

Like any con, the more urgent they seem, the more likely we are to panic, and scammers rely on panic. These provocative subject lines try to force our hand and make us click links that ultimately take us to dodgy versions of real websites.

In some cases, as seen more and more recently, there are text versions of these messages that demand we pay customs on a package that we aren’t expecting or even a “hi mum, I’m texting off my friends phone” text that has done the rounds towards the end of 2023.

How can you tell genuine contact from criminal activity?

Ask “was I expecting this?”

Have you ordered something online? Have you requested a password change?

Never click links in messages or emails you do not trust.

These links are likely to take you to a lookalike of the site you expect, and will request your login to disguise themselves as you to take further data, if not outright request your card details.

Ask “would they do this?”

Bank of Ireland and other such companies have publicly stated that they will never contact you to confirm details. Reputable organisations will not prompt you to reset your password without reason.

Ask “Who is sending this?”

Check who the email is from. In many cases, at a glance, the emails will look eerily close to the real ones, but read carefully. This is also of use when receiving strange texts.

When receiving texts from organisations such as AIB, BOI, or An Post, the contact will appear as their name whether or not you have saved the number. Scammers attempt to catch you with that panic, and the first words of the text will be the organisation, rather than the organisation being in the contact line.

False Information, Fake News, and Hoaxes

We’ve all seen a headline we can scarcely believe. It’s shared with rage, the comments are arguing, and the reactions are all little angry faces. False news is inflammatory and provocative, and it spreads faster than facts. This has led to reaction being the arbiter of truth. But like we do with scams, we have to stop and ask ourselves some questions.

First and foremost;

Is there any proof?

Is this the rambling of someone who is enforcing conspiratorial ideas? Or is there a source?

But what if it’s a story about the truth being kept from us?

It would still have some proof if it was real. Search around, do your research, and visit Snopes.com if you cannot figure out how genuine one of these posts is.

Hoaxes are similar, but they tend to be more easily spread, and unfortunately, tend to spread into the mainstream media.

It only seems like yesterday that stories of challenges like Blue Whale and Momo circulated. These tales were frightening; they came with accusations of

some invisible in-phone entity who was forcing children to harm themselves or others, with some news outlets claiming that the end goal of the “challenge” was for the victim to kill themselves.

This was terrifying; how could someone be threatening children like this? This awful thing has to have come from somewhere, and in the stories were comments about “there are x number of deaths in x country linked with the challenge” and this, at face value, is enough to make you freeze and share.

Unfortunately – or indeed, fortunately – these are hoaxes with no confirmed deaths linked to these games.

Ask yourself;

Where is the proof?

A quick look shows no evidencephoto, video, or screenshots and even then, we must be mindful of those screenshots. Just how real are they?

Has anyone in my life received such messages or challenges?

Much like urban legends, it’s a friend of a friend, or a person my cousin knows, or someone online said. This is not proof; it’s fuel.

Are the linked deaths actually linked to this?

Do the numbers vary or are they consistent? Can you find local news sources that confirm the link?

“What is the point of this?”

There is no gain from these “challenges” other than pain, so why would someone bother?

Unlike traditional scamming, there tends to be no monetary gain, and instead these stories serve as more of a digital boogeyman.

The Basics

These are things we forget about. In such a connected world, it’s easy for the old rules of the internet to slip from common use, and even now, we should keep them in mind.

Be careful of how much you share

Posting updates of when you’re on holiday or out of the house can be a tip off for burglars as they’ll know the house is empty.

Remember that you don’t really know the person on the other side of the screen

Online friends are wonderful, but you don’t always know who the person you’re speaking to could be. Be wary of the photos, videos, and even the texts you share with people whose identity you cannot confirm.

The internet is forever.

Things you express in a fit of rage or after a few can be deleted the next day, but screenshots can ensure that no one forgets your slip up. Be deliberate in your posts and messages;

if you wouldn’t share it with your nan, don’t share it online.