The " Christmas " Scam !

This is the time of the year when we are all vulnerable to a new kind of fraud perpetrated by the Internet scammers.  Christmas gift giving means that there are a lot of parcels moving about in the various delivery services and many did their Christmas shopping on the Internet. We would not be surprised to get an email message that seems to originate from Australia Post or DHL apologising for a " missed delivery " and purporting to put things right.

The first danger springs into action if our curiosity causes us to open that email to see what it is all about.  Once you click on that email you have opened the door to a flood of ransomware that can infect your computer and allow the scammers to shut it down and lock you out of your own information.  That ransomware simply changes all the passwords and the scammers demand that you pay whatever they ask to have your computer returned to your control.

Sometimes the scammers actually honour their end of the arrangement when the ransom is paid, but often they are never heard from again once the money changes hands - and the computer remains locked.   There is also the risk that the ransomware will leave a trace carefully concealed so that the scammers can have a second bite at the cherry at a later date.  That may enable them to read your message traffic with the aim of stealing bank passwords and other sensitive information.

The more common scam is to seek personal information in the guise that they need to determine if you are the correct recipient of this " missed delivery ".  They may ask you to name your street number and the nearest cross street, ask for the names of any other family members - and require your date of birth.   All that information could enable them to achieve identity theft.

Assuming another persons identity is fraught with danger. A clever scammer can rack up a mountain of debt and do irreparable damage to your credit reputation.  The commercial world is hitting back and the most common defence is to send their customer a message on their mobile phone asking them to authenticate an unusually large purchase or an item that seems out of character.   This also automatically applies if the bank receives a money transfer to a site with no previous history.  This filter is becoming very effective in stopping fraud at the point of sale.

The age of the computer continues to advance and few can now resist the relentless use of the computer billing cycle.   The old method of mailing out a paper bill each month now comes with a hefty surcharge or is no longer available and elderly people find their bills arrive by computer or mobile phone.  Unfortunately, many are vulnerable to the slick presentation that the scam industry now uses to appear genuine.

The elderly would be well advised to seek the guidance of a younger family member to monitor their computer traffic.  The younger generation can usually spot suspicious gambits that are not part of usual practice - but the scammers also develop new techniques with great ingenuity.  This is a battle that is fought with electronic weapons.