Yesterday, the Chatham Kent Police completed an investigation where a Wallaceburg business became victim of an internet financial crime.
A sizable amount of money was transferred out of the company’s business account.
The banking institution once contacted was able to reverse the transaction prior to withdrawal.
It is suspected that the business computer inadvertently had Malware installed without the owner’s knowledge.
Common examples of Malware include viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and spyware. Viruses, for example, can cause havoc on a computer’s hard drive by deleting files or directory information. Spyware can gather data from a user’s system without the user knowing it. This can include anything from the Web pages a user visits to personal information, such as credit card numbers and banking information. More and more people are choosing to complete their banking online. The Chatham Kent police recommends the following:
· Install a reputable anti-virus program on your devices and update the program daily
· Do not open any email or attachment from people you do not know
· Do not click on any pop-up ads
· Do not download programs from sites you don’t recognize
· If you choose to do online banking always check the URL bar for a “closed” lock symbol followed by “HTTPS”. This means the banking site you have accessed is secure.
