Tips to Protect Yourself Against Cybercriminals

At the beginning of the pandemic, along with the rapid rise of digital workplaces’ popularity, 40% of companies saw an increase in cyberattacks and only 30% of them declared they feel fully prepared to move to remote work. Even World Health Organisation noted that since the start of the pandemic it has seen fivefold increase in cyberattacks directed at its staff. The most common attack that internet users are likely to experience is phishing – about 90% of all cyberattacks’ attempts are based on impersonating other entities.

“Many industry organisations and companies note that ever since the start of the pandemic they observed a significant increase in the cyberattacks. Phishing or scam attempts will usually promise something impossible yet very desired in return for our personal data. Before the user understands what is going on, it is usually too late because some damage has been already done,” says Efi Dahan, Managing Director in PayPal for Central and Eastern Europe, and Israel.

The global chaos is a perfect playing field for the cybercriminals who usually do not hesitate to use their advantage in such situations. The fears for the health and safety of families might make the internet users an easier prey for them. But there are some steps that everyone can take in order to avoid unpleasant situations.

Watch out for phishing

The cybercriminals will try to impersonate various companies, delivery couriers, payment methods, e-stores or traditional stores. They might call, send emails, or text messages. Usually, they will state that there’s an incredible opportunity which needs to be taken advantage of very quickly (i.e, a sale or a discount), or highlight that there is some sort of danger which needs to be fixed quickly (i.e. to prevent your account from being blocked).

If the user is unsure about the authenticity of that email, they might want to avoid clicking links in the message and instead of that, log in to their account directly from their browser or check in with the customer support. Pay attention also to typos, punctuation, or weird grammar – usually, official messages from the company will not contain such omissions. To make sure that everything is alright, it is also worth contacting them directly, i.e, by phone.

Suspicious shop promotions

Many users are exposed to targeted advertisements in social media showcasing unique products or highlighting discounts. Among a variety of really interesting goods offered by many niche shops, it is often difficult for sellers to understand whether they can trust a particular e-store, especially if it’s located abroad.

“In such cases, the user could look up reviews of the store to see what other buyers think about it. It is also helpful to take a look at the return policy and check the quality of its customer support,” advises Dahan, “Payment methods that are available in the e-shop are also a good indicator of its trustworthiness. For example, if the user pays with PayPal and there is something wrong with the product or – worse – it never arrives at all, it is easy to dispute the unsuccessful purchase and receive the money back.”

Other suspicious situations might involve a seller asking the buyer to transfer money through unofficial channels rather than the official payment method available on the website.

The companies also protect their customers

Customers should be careful at all times and be wary of offers that are too good to be true. The importance of the trusted payment method is highlighted in such situations, as the fintech companies not only help their customers in recovering the money when something goes wrong. They also continuously work to ensure the highest protection measures are used for money transfers, such as fraud prevention based on machine learning, throughout the efforts of in-house IT specialists or acquisitions, such as the purchase of Simility by PayPal in 2018, valued at $120 million.