KUALA LUMPUR: Internet users must take proactive measures to prevent identity theft with cases related to it saw double-digit growth last year, RAM Credit Information Sdn Bhd (RAMCI) said.
RAMCI according to The Malaysian Computer Emergency Response Team (MyCERT) said, cases of identity theft grew 20 per cent to 446 last year from 371 in 2017.
“Over the past few years, startling data has tracked the rise of identity fraud cases. Not surprisingly, a recent survey by RAMCI showed that 14 per cent of respondents were victims of identity theft,” it said.
Identity theft it said, is among the five most famous methods of online financial crimes.
Other methods are phishing — using fake emails, SMS or websites to steal private information, malware — a potent virus designed to glean through data and damage devices, money laundering — transfer of illicit funds to anonymous accounts, and carding — using stolen credit cards for fraudulent activities.
“Most of the time, criminals use a variety of schemes to commit financial fraud, making them highly complex and difficult to identify.”
To prevent themselves from being a victim to cybercrime, RAMCI advises internet users to be vigilant when sharing any personal details online, even on social networking sites.
It said they must also be proactive with their finances by investing in a credit monitoring tool to help monitor their bank and credit accounts for scams and fraud and review their credit reports regularly to keep them updated.
Internet users are also advised to use a password manager tool to keep their passwords safe and make sure they update it regularly. – Bernama
