From AI voice cloning to deep fake videos, cyber criminals today are getting smarter and more sophisticated; the dark web is their gold mine. Your personal information, their currency. In this era of digital crime, we bring you expert tips to safeguard yourself from future cyber attacks.
Imagine your most personal details, your bank account, phone number, or home address exposed online, sold on the dark web, or used by strangers to control your life. In today’s digital era, the most serious threats are not always visible. However, the reality is that they exist online, hidden in the networks and systems we rely on. From AI voice cloning to deep fake videos, scammers are getting smarter and more sophisticated. But there is a way to fight back and secure your personal data. In this article, we tell you how you can safeguard yourself from cyber attacks.
The Golden Hours of Reporting
Let’s start with the most basic. Should you fall victim to a cyber attack, remember that promptly reporting the incident is key. The first 3 to 4 hours after the fraud are crucial and for most victims the delay becomes their biggest mistake.
Amit Dubey, Cybersecurity Expert: “The immediate reaction after any such incident should be to call 1930. 1930 is an helpline of Ministry of Home Affairs. It’s a 24/7 helpline. You should report the transaction IDs, the accounts where you have transferred the money and then you should request them to block that account immediately. They have the power to block any bank account for 48 hours immediately. Once that bank account is frozen, you will automatically get your money back after 21 days.”
The Trap of “Mule Accounts”
Cyber attackers do not wait. Wasting even a minute can lead to a significant monetary loss. And it’s precisely in these critical moments that criminals swiftly transfer stolen funds abroad. Often leveraging a sophisticated network of what are known as mule accounts.
Amit Dubey, Cybersecurity Expert: “Normally these criminals they don’t use their own accounts. They use mule accounts. Mule accounts means they will either create account on somebody else’s KYC details. You find that it is being created on some farmer in Odisa or some vegetable vendor in West Bengal and these guys don’t know that there is a bank account on their name. Criminals normally operate these accounts remotely. They don’t visit bank. When bank will be informed that there is a transaction happened in this bank account and the dispute has been raised. The bank will send a notice to the concerned person. The concerned person will never visit bank because he is a criminal. You will automatically get your money back after 21 days.”
Children and Gaming App Vulnerabilities
If you think it’s only the adults who are being scammed, let us tell you even children are vulnerable to cyber fraud. That seemingly simple game your child is playing can become an open window for cyber criminals.
Amit Dubey, Cybersecurity Expert: “They can ask you to install an app either through your kid or anybody who is around you. So they know that if you are sharing your phone with your kids and there are any games in that phone and these games have chat facilities like PUBG or Roblox they have chat facilities. Kids normally think that these other players they are of their same age but according to a survey almost 50% of these gamers are senior guys 25 plus or 30 plus. They target parents phone through these apps because they know that they can easily create a situation or exploit curiosity of these kids and forcing them to install something.”
Social Media Safety and Two-Factor Authentication
Social media is no longer just about staying connected. It has become an integral part of our daily lives. While you might feel you’re simply scrolling, liking, sharing, and posting, remember that every click carries potential risks. Cyber criminals are constantly vigilant, actively waiting for the right moment. One wrong move could mean the loss of your personal information. So the question is, how do you protect yourself from cyber fraud while using social media?
Amit Dubey, Cybersecurity Expert: “Everybody should do two-factor authentication. And normally people ignore they don’t know that there is a feature especially to secure your WhatsApp. So go to your WhatsApp settings there’ll be an option called accounts and then you will have two factor authentication. Click on it. It will ask six-digit code from you. That six-digit code should not be your date of birth. It should be some other number which only you know. Nobody else should know about it. Nobody can look into your WhatsApp messages even if they get the access of your OTP.
Second, your social media accounts for example Facebook or Instagram. So there are couple of recommendations for those accounts as well. People normally complain that their Facebook is clone. Somebody has taken the profile picture, created another account and now sending request to their friends and their friend normally think that okay you could have created a new account because of some reason and they may accept your request. Now to avoid this with anybody you should do two settings. One, keep your friend list private. The only reason that criminal is motivated to clone your account because they can see your friend list. And who can see your future post? Only friends. See your private pictures, your family pictures, your pictures of your house or of your vehicle or gadgets should not be exposed to public forums.”
Know Your Rights: The RBI Ombudsman
You might assume cyber fraud only stems from carelessness, but that’s not always the case. System failures can also lead to fraud. As a consumer, it’s important to remember that you have rights in these situations.
Amit Dubey, Cybersecurity Expert: “RBI Ombudsman is a authority where you can complain against any bank. You can just search on Google RBI Ombudsman you will have RBI website where there is a section where you can complain against any bank that I have raised my case with this bank and they are not responding or they have closed this without any investigation or I’m not happy with the investigation. You can raise that concern and then the RBI Ombudsman will push that bank to close it with the logical hand.
Now these are the powers those are given to consumers and consumers should know their powers. If I have given my money to the bank and I have transferred this money to some other bank, I have not given cash bank to bank transfer. Then in any situation, the liability should not be on me because I have transferred from one bank to another bank. Now it is bank’s responsibility to trace my money and give it back to me.”
Cyber crime is a silent epidemic. The more you know, the less power fraudsters have over you. Remember, you’re not helpless or alone. When you speak up, report faster, and stay alert, you can break the chain.
