Battling Net Crime

Battling Net Crime.
On a sad day in February 2010, a teenager left her house to meet a man whom she had met on social site on the net. Five days later, her parents and the police found them both in a hotel where they had stayed together.

What shocking news! She was just 14! This is not fiction told by parents to scare their children; it’s is a real story. What makes it worse that kind of case has happened so many times.

You definitely don’t want to experience it yourself, do yo? Read on to find out how to avoid being a victim of internet crime.

Data Phishing

When it comes to cybercrime, phishing is one of the most widely used methods for defrauding internet users. The tactics and delivery of the scam vary, but the goal of this online fraud is usually the same; to access someone’s private information, such as user names and passwords, that can be used for gain.

The simplest phishing emails involve the use of unsolicited communication (or spam) that offers free goods and services in return for signup. To signup, you have to give the requested information that later will be sold to mailing list companies. Another way of phishing is using trustworthy logos of prominent companies or brands. Clicking the logo will lead you to a site where your data will be collected.

To avoid data phishing, you need to change your passoword regularly, say, once in the months. Don’t open a mail from people that you don’t know and always ask older people’s opinion about a site.

Inappropriate Photos

Most people like to take pictures and post them on the net. Photos of nature and animals usually won’t create a problem. But be careful in posting your portrait! With such an advanced technology in digital imaging, your beautiful face could be placed on a naked body. Now, that’s a problem.

Before uploading your photos, it is suggested that you resize the pictures into a smaller size and keep the actual size in your hard disk. Small-byte photos are difficult to manipulate. And the actual photos that you keep will come in handy when you are dealing with this kind of fraud.

Internet Buying

Selling and buying on the net is a common thing to do today. The buyer doesn’t need to meet the seller here. The transaction is done electronically once the buyer decides to buy what he/she wants. However, there are things to remember when you want buy something at the net.

Make sure that the seller is a honest person. Checking testimonials from other buyers will help you decide wheter you can trust the seller or not.

Make sure that you really like what you want to buy. Usually sold items are non-returnable.

Make sure that site is safe for you to give your bank or credit card account numbers. If possible, use another way of communication, such as email or SMS on your cell phone. Knowing the seller’s cell phone number is useful, just in case there is a problem in receiving your order.

Defamation

FYI: Insulting people is also a crime!

The Indonesian Electronic Information and Transanction Law ((UU ITE or UU No. 11 Th. 2008) is meant to protect internet users against internet crime. But this law has also been used to sue other people on charges of insult of defamation through the net, like Prita Mulyasari’s case. Several months ago some high school students in Riau were permanently sent home after insulting one of their teachers on a social website.

Teasing a friend directly in a joking manner is OK, but writing rude words about somebody on your wall is definitely a no-no!

The thing is your written words are published on the World Wide Web. It means the whole world can read what you have written. So, be careful in writing things on the net. You don’t want it to turn against you, right!