IN THESE days of digitalization and information technology, the incidence of cybercrimes is seeing an overwhelming surge as more and more people can afford access to the World Wide Web through computers, laptops, tablets, and even mobile devices. While the Internet is bringing quite a lot of conveniences like hassle-free online transactions, paperless documents, virtual libraries, entertainment portals, and social networking sites, it has also paved the way for cybercriminals who are virtually on the loose to victimize innocent web users.
Among the several types of cybercrimes, identity theft seems to be very eminent nowadays because of the various social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, wherein users share information about themselves on these virtual communities. How many times have we seen a post from our friend directing us to ignore messages as his/her social media account was hacked or that the said account is a bogus one? An identity theft modus operandi commonly operates by looking into Facebook users’ accounts and getting as many details as possible. In most instances, the felons will transact into selling deals using other people’s identity, which is now famously known as “posing.”
Hackers have also developed a way on how to extract essential information through what is called phishing, the use of hoax websites and emails disguised as reputable enterprises in order to obtain the information of unsuspecting recipients for the purpose of committing financial fraud. This is why users must pay extra attention to the web address found at the upper portion of the window when logging in to their accounts using public computers in internet cafes and computer shops. To check if the site is authentic, there must be three components that make up the address: first is the www which stands for World Wide Web; second is the domain name, for example, Facebook; and third is the domain extension, for example, .com. Another way to determine if the site is fake, certain font characters and some design features of the main page are unnoticeably different from that of the genuine webpage.
Users of social networking sites especially Facebook must also be very cautious nowadays and should not upload pertinent documents like IDs, certificates, photos that can be used by thieves in their modus operandi. Too many details regarding addresses, workplaces, jobs, should also not be unreservedly posted in account details to avoid being victimized by identity theft.
This should serve as a reminder for all of us that anything in excess is not always good. While we seem to literally enjoy the many benefits of the Internet, we should always think of the downsides that virtual technology also brings at hand. Moderation is always the key to assuring our protection from all kinds of harm. So, the next time that we want to share a certain piece of ourselves on Facebook, let’s think it over first if it will not lead us to our own disadvantage. #Isipisip muna bago magpost!