There are increased complaints about the misuse of Internet, according to the Head of the Office for Combating Cybercrime & Digital Forensics Lab, Andreas Anastasiades. He urged parents to pay special attention to their children as the Office has received a number of complaints about individuals approaching children for sexual purposes.
Anastasiades told CNA that with the increased use of the Internet as people are staying home in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus, there is “an increase in complaints about the use of the Internet in general and online fraud.”
He said there are many online ads about offers and free gifts allegedly from reputable shops. “Fraudsters are adjusting their action and are hiding behind the Internet`s anonymity”, he said. They offer gifts and make people give them their credit card details for small amounts for delivery purposes, for instance three euros. However, “they charge larger amounts, like 50 euros”, as he said. The Office for Combating Cybercrime & Digital Forensics Lab has located these cases and put an end to them and has also issued press releases urging people to be careful.
Another form of cybercrime on the rise are cases of persons approaching children for sexual purposes. “Our Office is on alert and we are investigating all reports,” he said and appealed to parents to be on the lookout.
Children, he said, are contacted by persons both in Cyprus and from overseas and usually via Facebook and lately Viber.
Anastasiades also emphasised the increasing use of Fake News. “We are trying to locate cases of Fake News but you must appreciate that people ought to be careful about what they see and what they believe. We recommend that the public follow only the official websites of the Republic”.
These are the three factors we have been dealing with lately and we are calling on the public to visit our website www.cyberalert.cy, where there is a lot of information about the situation, he noted. He also said that the Office is at the people’s disposal for further information.
Meanwhile, Cybersecurity Adviser in Cyprus and Greece, Alexia Christofi, said “these difficult days have given a new dimension to the action of cyber criminals”.
She told CNA that in addition to classic hackers, now there are more sophisticated hackers using Social engineering to manipulate fake ads, gifts and offers and to obtain users’ information such as credit card details, ID number, etc.
With the shortage of masks for protection against Covid-19, Christofi said, “we get rushed offers that refer to electronic shops that only ask for payment and shipping details to complete the so-called order. It is advisable to verify the merchant`s legitimacy by looking for contact details and contacting them for cross-checking, she advised.
She also warned about cases where a “nicely written email is sent to persons who are unwilling to provide their personal information, containing a link with trojan virus that enters the receiver’s device and providing access to personal data”.
Christofi also said to combat the issue with Fake News, people should only receive their news from official sources and even then, double check through the Internet.
“Our new reality is further pushing us towards the Internet. Our children must continue their education, we must continue working remotely and people need to communicate. Therefore, special care is required by parents, who must regulate their children’s online movement”, she said and reminded that there is software on the market that can help.
“Proper information and digital education are the only ways to protect us from the new dangers that lie ahead”, Christofi added.
