Be aware of Fraudulent Email

Recently, a politician was scammed out of HKD 500,000 after receiving a fraudulent email. We like to remind everyone to stay vigilant on cybercrime. According to the report, the breach occurred when the victim clicked on a suspected malware URL on an email purportedly from her friend, asking for help.

According to the statistics of the Hong Kong Police Force, there were 6,778 technology crime cases in 2014, increased by 30% compared to 2013. The total number of cases related to unauthorized access to computer system, which included “Intrusion into a computer system” and “Internet or online account-take-over” were 1,477. Financial loss due to technology crime cases was over 1 billion dollar, indicating that it is a very serious problem.

To avoid becoming the next victim of fraudulent email, users should take the following actions. When you received a “request for help” email claiming from your relatives or business associates, contact them immediately for verification. Do not open the attachment or URL in the email. Use strong password and enable 2 factor authentication for online services. At the same time, change password and update computer security software regularly.

When you fell into a phishing trap, you should change the login password for all online services and notify the service provider immediately to prevent the cybercriminal from attempting fraudulent transactions. Furthermore, pay attention to the alerts issued by the bank and email service provider. Users can also reduce the transaction limits to minimize the losses.

If users have any enquiries, please contact HKCERT for assistance.