CYBER STALKING,

FRAUD AND ABUSE

COMPUTER SECURITY FUNDAMENTALS
OBJECTIVES

 Know the various types of Internet investment scams and auction

frauds
 Know specific steps one can take to avoid fraud on the Internet
 Have an understanding of what identity theft is and how it is done
 Know specific steps that can be taken to avoid identity theft
 Understand what cyber stalking is, and be familiar with relevant laws
 Know how to configure a web browser’s privacy settings
 Know what laws apply to these computer crimes
FRAUD

• The wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or

personal gain.

• The most prevalent danger in the internet.

-Committing an internet fraud does not require technical skills not
like hacking and virus creation.
-There are a lot of people engaging in different types of online
commerce.
FRAUDSTERS, ABETTORS WARNED BY SEC

• The SEC reiterated its warning against any and all persons acting for and in behalf of
groups engaged in such fraudulent activities amid its intensified crackdown on
investment scams across the country.
• “Soliciting investments from the public without the necessary license and through
fraudulent means is a crime and punishable under the law,” SEC Chairperson Emilio B.
Aquino said. “We are intent on bringing the people behind investment scams, including
their abettors, promoters and supporters, to justice.”
• Section 8 of the Securities Regulation Code, provides that “securities shall not be sold
or offered for sale or distribution within the Philippines, without a registration
statement duly filed with and approved by the Commission.”
• Section 28 further states that no person shall engage in the business of buying or
selling securities in the Philippines as a broker or dealer, or act as a salesman, or an
associated person of any broker or dealer unless registered with the SEC.
COMMON TYPES OF FRAUD

• Investment Scams
-Usually sent through email telling you that you will gain a large amount of
money from giving a small fee for processing. (Nigerian Prince Scam)
-Will offer services “free of charge” to entice their victims to join, or will use
psychological pressure to “seal the deal.”
-The success rate of the scammers is hard to gauge, since they are operating
illegally and do not keep track of specific numbers. One individual estimated he
sent 500 emails per day and received about seven replies, citing that when he
received a reply, he was 70 percent certain he would get the money. If tens of
thousands of emails are sent every day by thousands of individuals, it doesn't
take a very high success rate to be worthwhile.
 FRAUD VS SCAM

• A scam is a fraudulent scheme generally involving money

and some sort of business transaction.
• Scams come in various forms. Maybe you have experienced
someone telling you would win a prize if you revealed your
credit card details or asking you to donate money to a
charity that does not exist?
• Scams reach us in various ways, via telephone, email, or
even in person.
•
• Fraud implies a deception. It is a breach of confidence or trust.
• Fraud is a serious crime and a violation of civil law.
• The motivations for fraud can be many. These include monetary gain,
discrediting an opponent or adversary. It can be to gain prestige as well as a
financial advantage.
• If a partner cheats on a husband or wife, he or she can be legitimately called
a fraud by the other party if he/she was pretending to be faithful while
committing the adultery.
• A person who is guilty of fraudulent activity is called a fraudster.
SCAMS AND FRAUD – WHAT’S THE
DIFFERENCE?

• Fraud is a broader category of wrongdoing than a

scam. Scams can belong to the broader category
of fraud.
• A scam is generally a more minor offense than
fraud, which is considered very serious.
AUCTION FRAUD

• eBay, Shopee, Lazada - can be a wonderful way to find merchandise at

very good prices.
• Categories of online auction fraud:
- Failure to send the merchandise
- Sending something of lesser value than advertised
- Failure to deliver in a timely manner
- Failure to disclose all relevant information about a product or terms of
the sale
 AUCTION PRECAUTIONS

1. Only use reputable auction sites. Such auction sites tend to take precautions to prevent
fraud and abuse.
2. If it sounds too good to be true, don’t bid.
3. Some sites actually allow you to read feedback other buyers have provided on a given
seller. Read the feedback, and only work with reputable sellers.
4. When possible use a separate credit card, one with a low limit, for online auctions. That
way,
should your credit card be compromised, your liability is limited. Using your debit card is simply
inviting trouble.
 IDENTITY THEFT -One person takes the identity of another.
Usually attempted to make purchases, obtaining credit cards, loans or
even driver’s licenses.

1. Do not provide your personal information to anyone if it is not absolutely necessary.

This rule means that when communicating on the Internet with anyone you do not personally
know, do not reveal anything about yourself; not your age, occupation, real name, nothing.

2. Destroy documents that have personal information on them. If you simply throw away
bank statements and credit card bills, then someone rummaging through your trash can get a
great deal of personal data.
• This rule may not seem like it is related to computer security, but information gathered
through
nontechnical means can be used in conjunction with the Internet to perpetrate identity theft.
 CLEAR BROWSING HISTORY (CACHE &
COOKIES)
• Many websites store information about you and your visit to their
site in small files called cookies. These cookie files are stored on
your machine. The problem with cookies is that any website can
read any cookie on your machine, even ones that the website you
are currently visiting did not create. So if you visit one website and
it stores items like your name, the site you visited, and the time
you where there, then another website could potentially read that
cookie and know where you have been on the Internet. One of the
best ways to stop cookies you don’t want is anti-spyware software.
PHISHING- The process of trying to induce the target to provide
you with personal information.

• Never respond to emails that request personal financial information

• Look for signs that an email is “phishy”
• Keep a regular check on your accounts
• Visit bank websites by typing the address into the address bar
• Make sure that the website you are visiting is secure
• Keep your computer secure
• Always report suspicious activity
• Be cautious with emails and personal data
 CYBER STALKING- If someone uses the internet to harass, threaten, or
intimidate another person, then the perpetrator is guilty of cyber stalking.

• Protecting yourself from online harassment also has its own guidelines:

1. If you use chat rooms, discussion boards, and so forth, do not use your real name. Set up a
separate email account with an anonymous service, such as Yahoo!, Gmail, or Hotmail. Then use
that account and a fake name online. This makes it very hard for an online stalker to trace back to
you personally.
2. If you are the victim of online harassment, keep all the emails in both digital and printed format.
If you are successful, then you can take the emails and the information on the perpetrator to law
enforcement officials.
3. Do not, in any case, ignore cyber stalking. According to the Working to Halt Online Abuse
website,14 19% of cyber stalking cases escalate to violent acts, including sexual assault and
homicide.
LAWS ABOUT INTERNET FRAUD
QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK YOURSELF TO
PREVENT FRAUD
• Does it sound as if he is taking an enormously large risk?
• Ask yourself “Why is this person informing you of this great investment deal?”
• Does the deal seem oddly biased in your favor? (too good to be true)
• Would you engage in the deal if you where in his position? (sending money to
someone you do not know in a foreign country)

If not, then these factors is a sign that the deal might not be what it seems.
 SUMMARY

• It is important to realize that if you allow greed to do your thinking for you, you are a prime
candidate to be a victim of fraud.
• You should never respond to or participate in any investment offer that was sent to you via
email, online ads etc.
• You should only participate in investments that you initiated with well-known brokers,
companies, etc. It is also important to check out any broker with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC).
• Clearly, fraud and identity theft are very real and growing problems. In our modern age of
instant access to information and online purchasing, it is critical that every person take
steps to protect themselves against this issue.
SOURCES

• Computer Security Fundamentals by Chuck Easttom ©2012 by Pearson

• http://www.sec.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2019PressRelease_stamps-out-more-i
nvestment-scams-reiterates-warning-against-fraudsters-06112019.pdf

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance-fee_scam

• https://www.skypeenglishclasses.com/english-vocabulary-the-subtle-difference-between-fr
aud-and-scam/