What is worse than getting scammed online? Helplessly watching the scammer steal from you via a screen sharing.
In the United Kindom, there has been a rise in the number of cases of people getting scammed through a screen sharing tactic. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the United Kingdom is urging the people to be wary of persons who pose as investment advisors and promises to assist them to set up new schemes using online meeting platforms as there have been about 2,100 cases have been reported to the FCA since July 2020 with more than £25m was stolen in the 15 months from January 2021.
The scammers invite their victims to share their screens and allow remote access, giving them control of their devices and maybe their bank account. People who utilize popular online meeting programs in their workplaces have gotten accustomed to screen-sharing. Remote access software is a genuine technique for IT support services to troubleshoot problems without having to be there. However, fraudsters are now using this familiarity to persuade victims to give over more than simply a screenshot of their screen. They are then convinced to hand over control of their computer to the fraudsters by either increasing permissions or downloading remote access software, allowing them direct access to their online bank accounts.
In order to avoid becoming a victim of this scam, online users should:
- Not rely on your caller ID.
- Hang up if someone calls asking to get on your computer or mobile device together, or if they ask for money or personal info.
- Never give an unsolicited caller remote access to your computer or mobile phone, and do not give them personal info.
- Delete any unknown or unwanted apps from your phone.
Let us all be smart on the internet to prevent such scams to happen.
References
- Article Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-61323399
- External Source: https://www.uccu.com/security-alert-screen-sharing-fraud/