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Internet users must be wary of fake schemes
Islamabad, June 11, 2008: Internet users are fast becoming prey to online auctions,
distance selling and job offering frauds with scammers just disappear after
minting money from hundreds of thousands of people.
Scammers running
various websites request the internet users to provide personal and banking
details and a 'goodwill' or 'advance fee' payment. The information provided by
the users is used for illegal activities and the money submitted by them is
never seen again.
"Internet users especially in Pakistan must be careful
of distance selling because once the money is submitted to anyone dealing from
another country, it is apparently impossible to get back the submitted amount if
it proves to be a fraudulent activity," said Amin Akram, a local businessman. He
said the users must make sure that the seller provides the price of the item,
arrangements for delivery and contact information. "Anyone who fails to provide
this basic information is probably trying to run a scam." Fraudulent persons
advertise a job on behalf of a real company. A bogus telephone or email
interview might also take place and after some time the subscribers are informed
that they have been selected for the job and only have to send a fixed amount of
money for work visa or travel costs, but it turns out in the end that everything
was fake.
Some competitions invite subscribers to claim their allocated
prize by telephoning a hotline number and this could be charged at a premium
rate and last many minutes.
It usually occurs when any one visit a
website and a bold message flashes over the screen reading "you are the
millionth visitor of this website and entitled to a big prize". But when the
user submits the required amount to get the prize then he comes to know that the
submitted amount is lost to unknown persons. Internet usage in the country has
witnessed a tremendous increase during the last couple of years with its users
reaching a record number of 13 million. Internet Service Providers (ISPs), which
were concentrating in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad have now extended their
services in other cities as well and this service is currently available in more
than 2,389 cities and towns in Pakistan.
Fraudulent persons are also
cashing in on the innocence of young children, as they initiate an online
friendship with them, share hobbies and interests that may lead to exchange of
gifts and pictures. Although no family is immune to the possibility that their
children may be deceived on the Internet, especially when they use the computer
unsupervised, they are more likely to engage in online discussions of a personal
nature.
Some children become unwitting participants, as they actively
participate in chat rooms, trade e-mail messages, and send pictures online
without taking much care in this process. Salma Hayat, a local computer teacher,
said the children must not give personal information (name, address and phone
number) and choose a nick that does not identify personal information. They
should also not share password with anyone even with best friends and avoid
responding to unwanted, mean, offensive or threatening e-mail, chat room
dialogue or instant messages.
Many young boys often resort to exploit new
technology for flirtation and other purposes and most of them are engaged in
flirting foreign girls to use them, as a bridge to go abroad. But
sometimes-careless approach leads to undesired results. In Rawalpindi, a
4-member group headed by a girl reportedly trapped young boys on internet
through online dating. The young boys were invited for a meeting at some place
after which the group of muggers started exploiting them. The boys with no other
option were compelled to pay money demanded by these muggers.
By Noor Aftab (The News)
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| Education News | | Updated: 14 Oct, 2014 |
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