submitted by St. Albert RCMP
The Alberta Crime Prevention theme for November is cybercrime. Online crime is a global issue, which has a huge effect on everyone. Cybercrime is a criminal activity that either targets or uses a computer, a computer network or a networked device.
Some of the most common computer and internet cybercrime are:
- Phishing – Email and Internet Fraud
- Harassment / Sextortion
- Ransomware Attacks
- Identify Fraud
- Child Pornography & Solicitation
- Account Hacking
- Drug Trafficking
- Credit Card Fraud
So much of society depends on the internet, computers, tablets and/or cellular devices on a daily bases, it is easy for someone to fall prey to cybercrime. St. Albert RCMP want to educate citizens about online crime and offer the following tips to help protect themselves:
- Do not reuse passwords, change them often, and be sure to use a combination of letters, numbers and special characters to create a strong one!
- Many websites, especially social media platforms, offer the option of multi-factor authentication. Multi-factor authentication makes it more difficult for criminals to access your accounts by needing more than one piece of identifying information.
- Review privacy settings regularly in order to control who can see what personal information is posted to your profile.
- Buy from reputable sources and do not let unbeatable prices cloud your judgement.
- Avoid conducting financial transactions via public Wi-Fi.
- Install updates on your devices as soon as you are prompted. Updates fix security issues.
- Phishing is a commonly used tactic for cyber crime. Phishing messages ask you to validate information by clicking links and may threaten you with legal action. Verify legitimacy by calling the company directly.
For more information on cybercrime, please visit: www.canada.ca/en/services/policing/police/crime-and-crime-prevention/cybercrime.html
RCMP encourage the public and business owners to report any suspicious activity to police. If you see a crime in progress, dial 911. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store.
