CHENNAI: How will you keep your money safe from pickpockets while at a crowded place? Carry as little as you can. This traditional wisdom can protect your money from cyber fraudsters as well, said speakers at a cyber crime awareness programme held in the city on Wednesday.
“If you really need Internet banking facility and at the same time want to keep your money safe, then open a separate account to access Internet banking and a maintain limited balance in it. You can have another account for your general savings,” said V Rajendran, president of the Cyber Society of India. He pointed out how people carry a limited amount of money while going to a crowded market place or a temple festival.
“Similarly, while providing a credit card, the bank may offer you a limit of Rs 1.5 lakh. But 90 per cent of people would not be needing such a high credit limit. So, it is better they request the bank to sanction them a credit limit of say just Rs 50,000,” he said.
At a time when cyber criminals are adopting various innovative techniques to cheat gullible Internet users, such simple precautions by people can go a great way in minimising their exposure to cyber crimes like phishing, and the resultant damage, he added.
The speakers also recalled instances where people had lost their money to cyber fraudsters. In one such instance in Hyderabad, hundreds of people had swiped their cards at a stall in an exhibition wjocj promised Rs 200 worth of ice creams for just Rs 50. Only the next day, they had realised that it was a well-laid trap to steal their identity from their debit cards and use it to withdraw cash from several outlets across the globe.
“Banks are generally not interested in improving online security of its customers as there is no incentive for them to do so. No insurance company has policies to protect people from such frauds as they know that the banks don’t have a system in place to prevent frauds,” said K Ravichandar, a committee member of the Cyber Society of India.
Former DGP R Nataraj stressed that the police must improve their capacity and forensic abilities to counter cyber crimes. “It is reality and we must face it. The police must get tech savvy to handle the cyber crimes,” he said.