Watch out for stimulus check scams; Prince William police give advice on avoiding cybercrime

Internet usage has increased in light of the coronavirus pandemic, and along with it, cybercrime.

The Prince William County Police Department held a webinar on April 28 that outlined who is most vulnerable to cybercrime, common types of cybercrime, how to protect yourself, and what to do if you are a victim.

In Virginia, about $92 million has been lost to victims of monetary cybercrime, averaging $920 per person.

Young adults under the age of 20 are the most at risk, according to 2019 FBA statistics. Adults over 60 are also highly vulnerable to tech support scams.

“Cybercrime does not discriminate, and everyone is a potential victim,” Crime Prevention Specialist Holly Nicholson said.

Unemployment scams have drastically increased in light of the Coronavirus pandemic such as when an employer asks you to pay a fee for certification, training, or other materials.

“Employers and employment firms should never ask you to pay for the promise of a job,” Nicholson said.

Stimulus check scams have also been increasing in the light of the Coronavirus pandemic.

“The IRS won’t contact you by phone, email, text message, or any other forms of social media for your stimulus check payment. They won’t ask you for your social security number, your bank account number, or any of your personal information. You do not have to pay for your stimulus money, and lastly, the IRS won’t tell you to deposit your stimulus check and then send them back some money because they overpaid you,” Nicholson said.

There are many types of cybercrime including fraud, unsolicited emails, downloading illegal movie files, and distilling money from online bank accounts. The creation of computer viruses or publishing of confidential information are also examples of cybercrime.

“Being online exposes us to cybercriminals who can commit identity theft, fraud, and harrassment. Every time we connect to the internet, whether you are at home, at school, at work, or on mobile devices, we make decisions that affect our cybersecurity,” Nicholson said.

Other major types of cybercrime include fishing, nonpayment scams, non-delivery scams, and extortion.

Data breaching is also a common occurrence. It occurs when personal information is stolen and sold to criminals who then use it for identity fraud.

The most popular form of data breaching is physical where someone takes your phone, thumb drive, or anything with the information.

Card skimming, according to Nicholson, is also common. It happens when someone installs a device on an ATM, or other forms of card readers, to see personal information.

Other common ways of getting scammed are privileged misuse where employees use information wrong, social engineering where criminals manipulate people to give private information, and human error.

Malware is also prevalent such as ram scrapers, key loggers, etc.

The number one most common cybercrime is criminal hacking where a criminal finds a weakness in the computer and steals information, according to Nicholson.

There are ways to protect yourself from scams.

Ignore suspicious emails, don’t respond to texts from strangers, don’t use public wifi, don’t save credit card information on websites, and don’t put your information in on a nonsecure site.

Additionally, Nicholson recommends consumers to use firewalls, lock their devices, and use antivirus software.

When making strong passwords for websites, Nicholson suggests using a phrase that you will remember. Make it unique, and use both numbers and characters.

If a person becomes a victim of cybercrime, they should immediately change all passwords to websites and devices. They should contact their bank and close all compromised bank accounts.

Save any text messages, voice mails, or emails from suspicious IDs. File a police report, and save a copy for yourself in case of future needs.

Nicholson also advises filing a complaint to the Internet Crime Complaint Center and the Federal Trade Commission. Both of which can be done online.

Contact the three major credit reporting bureaus and social security admissions office if someone has access to your social security number.

If needing to contact the police in an emergency, always dial 911.

If the issue is not an emergency, dial the Prince William County Police Department at 703-792-6500.

Call 833-568-7683 if you want to file a report online with the police department, and they can send a link to your cell phone.

The Prince William County Crime Prevention Unit number is 703-792-7270.