Scams

I have been receiving bogus emails on lotteries that I have won, hoax winning tickets that were tagged to my email account, lawyers dying to pass cash to me, etc... (read more about perspective of a con-man here)

Here are some tips to keep yourself safe:

Tip 1: change password often

I would like to highlight to those who have been using internet banking (like me) to be alert to screen layouts. Also be prudent (that means do not be lazy): please change your passwords every so often. This works better if you use both numeric and alpha characters. Or keep your passwords on a USB Flashdrive with password protection (read more). Please do not store your password online too!

Tip 2: separate your email accounts for different uses

Personally what I do is that I have several email accounts and I use a separate one for money matters, emails and work (I have more than 3 email accounts *grins*). All with different usernames and passwords. I use different email providers too.

Tip 3: do not share personal information

Also, I do not give any personal data to anyone at all, not even my date of birth (saving you some money from getting me a gift too!) . This goes for all applications I use, such as facebook.

Tip 4: Do not participate with your personal data in lucky draws

Another tip on keeping your personal data safe: some supermarts or shopping centres sell or even give away your data free. These are from quizzes or lucky draws that you enter *take note* with your receipt number. I have personally encountered this and thus will never enter any lucky draw with my personal data again. Give this chance to someone who wants it more than you.

Tip 5: Ensure your service provider does not share your personal data

Most service providers ask if you would like to be put on their mailing list. If this option comes with a question if you would like to subscribe to mailing list from other companies, please do not tick yes. Personally I abhor those auto-inclusive schemes where you do not have to give your consent at all. (It is all in those fine prints!)

And here is an email (right below) I would like to share with you, from a friend on internet banking fraud, from DBS Pte Ltd.

*********************************************************

Dear all,

Last night at around 8:20 pm, I tried to log on to DBS internet banking.  I
clicked on my Favorites and I was brought to the website below.  If you are
a DBS i-banking user, you will readily notice that this website seems to be
different as it is asking you for your DBS iB secure PIN right on the first
page.  Typically, you will only be asked for the DBS iB secure PIN after
you have successfully keyed in your User ID and Password.  In any case,
since I did not suspect anything wrong, I keyed in the three numbers  required. After I have entered the numbers, a new webpage appeared saying that I should wait for the SMS One Time Password (OTP).  I waited for a few seconds and none came.

That's when I suspected that something was wrong.  So I called up DBS
hotline and I was told that the website below is NOT their website. So DBS
immediately cancelled my i-banking services and verified that none of my
monies were transferred.

When I used my home computer and my colleague's office computer this
morning to log on to DBS again, thankfully I was brought to the right
website.

I think that either my office computer or DBS' website (or both) had been
compromised.  In any case, I sent DBS a print-screen copy of the website as
well as details of the URL.  They said they will investigate. The customer
service officer said that there are some cases similar to mine that have
been reported to them previously.

    See attached to see how fake DBS website looks like:(See attached
file: image001.jpg)

*Lynspirations

Better be safe than sorry!