Campaign warns of internet fraud risk

ATTEMPTS to con computer users into giving fraudsters their bank details by email have almost doubled this year, an internet awareness campaign warned yesterday.

The four-week campaign, MakeITsecure, is backed by the Government, computer industry bodies, banks and phone companies.

It aims to warn computer users of the risks of fraud, identity theft and viruses and will also flag ways for parents to make using the internet safer for children.

Communications Minister Noel Dempsey said the campaign, launched yesterday, was the biggest ever undertaken in the country.

“We are all aware of the huge benefits that increased access to IT can have for us as individuals and in our professional lives,” he said.

“In that context it is important that people are informed of the potential risks out there and that they are aware of the simple steps that they can take in order to get secure and stay secure when online.”

He said www.makeitsecure.ie would let computer users download a booklet containing security tips.

Computer users were warned to watch out for spyware - software that transmits itself to hard drives without the owner’s knowledge. It tracks websites visited by the user and can, in some cases, keep a record of instructions typed on a keyboard, giving a hacker access confidential passwords.

The campaign will also raise awareness of identity theft, which occurs when fraudsters capture confidential information and use it to open fake credit card accounts or apply for a loan in someone else’s name. PC users will be warned about phishing, the sending of emails that claim to come from a bank and ask recipients to reply to the mail to confirm their bank details.

Figures compiled by IT security firm Symantec said the incidence of phishing had risen by 90% in the first six months of the year.

An advertising and mailshot programme will target 1.2 million households all over the country.