I RECENTLY had the unfortunate experience of getting unknowingly involved in an online scam. I never saw it coming and to date cannot seem to fathom why or how it happened.
All I remember was that I was munching on some potato chips while binge-watching a newly-released TV show one night when I received a call from my father. I was surprised because I thought that he would’ve been fast asleep by then as it was quite late.
Nevertheless, I picked up the phone and my father sounded quite perturbed. When I inquired why, he asked me if I had been involved in Bitcoin investments and if I had been interviewed by some people regarding the aforementioned. I vehemently denied, of course.
You see, I have no knowledge of cryptocurrencies or how they work. My father knew that for a fact, of course, and proceeded to tell me that he suspected something amiss, hence the late night call.
Apparently, there was an article that had been going viral on Facebook, where the author had alleged that I had invested in Bitcoin and how “successful” it had made me. It even went as far as stealing a number of my photographs from my social media accounts, and falsifying my personal information.
It also copied the layouts of various online news portals in an effort to look as legitimate as possible. The layout of the page kept changing every few minutes, and all the links provided led to an obviously dodgy site — all dead giveaways that it was indeed part of a nasty scam.
I knew that it was meant to draw netizens to click on the links on the page, in an attempt to con as many people as possible.
Within the next few hours, I received many messages and calls from my friends who had also come across the article, to ask if it were true.
I told them what was going on, and proceeded to make an official report on the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) website.
A few days later, the issue was picked up by the media and before long, more people found out what was going on. Thankfully, it helped escalate the seriousness of the matter and before long, the article was taken down.
It was most certainly a harrowing experience, to say the least.
Why was I targeted?
How could they have gotten all my personal information online?
What were they trying to achieve with this stunt?
These were the questions that were going through my mind for days, and it was evidently rather distressing.
Truth be told, it could’ve been anyone. I was simply an unlucky choice, someone who had been picked at random. It could’ve been you, or one of your family members or friends.
That was when it hit me: all of us are in danger of getting unwillingly and unintentionally involved in scams of all types. In this day and age, it is rather easy to create fake information and steal one’s photos online. Everything can happen with a simple click of a mouse.
However, there are certain steps that you can take in order to prevent getting implicated in online scams.
It is pertinent to always update your privacy settings, especially on your social media platforms. Be choosy with your audience, and try not to allow strangers to have access to your private information and/or photos.
Always keep a lookout for dodgy articles or pages. Should you come across anything that looks suspicious, always proceed with caution, and if you’re in doubt about the content, ask someone. Most importantly, never click on links that you’re unsure of.
Don’t believe claims that promise you riches within hours.
Don’t believe claims that assure you of winnings within days.
Don’t believe claims that guarantee success within weeks.
Nothing comes easy in life, especially success. It takes hard work and patience (which usually takes time), so anything that claims otherwise should be approached with a pinch of salt, and a great deal of caution.
The last thing you would want is to be added to a statistic. Be vigilant, and stay alert.
Ashley Grieg, a lecturer at Sunway College, is a Malaysian-born Eurasian with Scottish/Japanese/ Indian lineage. She believes in a tomorrow where there is no racism and hatred
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