MCIT, Moi Remind Public To Be Vigilant Against Cybercrime

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) M Mazharul Haque | The Peninsula

Doha: Ministries, government agencies and financial institutions have been issuing guidelines from time to time to protect people from falling prey to cyber criminals.

The Ministry of Communications and Information technology (MCIT) and the Ministry of Interior (MoI) recently shared some tips on their X accounts with people to save them from scammers and secure their electronic accounts.

A scam is a deceptive scheme used to trick you out of your money, properties, or other types of assets you may own. It is not always easy to spot a con or scam. Scammers may pose as people, agencies, or companies you know and trust. Scams can occur over the phone, through the mail, over the internet, or in person, and you may not be able to spot the scam until it is too late.

The scammers clone websites to trick you into sharing sensitive information. The MCIT, sharing the tip to prevent falling for scam websites, said,“The clone websites mimic official government sites as they look identical to them. Arm yourself with knowledge to stay one step ahead. Verify website domain extension. All official websites in Qatar end with the extension (gov), that's your main verification.” The ministry added,“Check the domain name and the URL. Scammers often tweak URLs to resemble real ones by misspelling domain name or using characters that look similar to those of official government websites. And be wary of the sponsored websites. Scammers can buy ads sponsoring fake website to appear first in search engine results.”

MoI advised the public to ensure the safety of their electronic accounts while travelling outside the country.

When travelling, it is crucial to maintain the best information security practices to protect yourself and your personal data from various cybercrimes encountered while on the go.

“Ensure all your devices are protected with strong passwords and keep all your devices updated with the latest software. Avoid connecting to public Wi-Fi, especially when conducting transactions. Enable multi-factor authentication for all your accounts and never leave your devices unattended in public areas. Stay vigilant and keep yourself safe and secure while travelling,” the ministry said.

Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority (QFCRA) has also issued some scam detection guidelines.

“Asking you to act now – The key to successful impostor scams is getting you to send money before you find out who is really on the other end. The more time you have, the more likely you will figure it out. Resist the pressure to act immediately before you have checked out the matter,” the QFCRA said.

“Contacted unexpectedly – When someone you have never heard of contacts you and asks for your personal information. If you are a customer of a bank or financial firm, they will never call you and ask for personal details such as your identification card, account number or SMS log in number.

“Get rich quick money – Easy money does not exist, you are being conned into believing you will make a lot of money overnight if you transfer to the scammer.” Phishing is another type of internet fraud, where scammers use email or text messages to trick you into giving them your private information (for example: username, password, account number, etc.).

“The scammers will try to use this information to steal your identity and money from your bank accounts or other accounts where you hold assets. Phishing emails and text messages may look like they are from a company you know or trust. The scammer will try to trick you into opening a link or an attachment,” the QFCRA added.

Some signs that help recognise a phishing email or text message include,“A claim that there is a problem with your account or your payment information, a claim that you have just won money and you need to click the link to redeem it, an offer of a coupon for free things or a request that you must confirm personal information.” The QFCRA added,“You should never click on a link within an email that requests you to enter private information and never reveal your full password to an account to anyone if it is requested.”

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