Politics
THE Founder of Olive Information Technology limited, Abuja, Mrs Shekwo Pauline has warned internet users against a new wave of electronic mail phishing scam with the promise of a job.
Pauline, whose outfit is into IT security training, made this statement on Tuesday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
She said that recently, cybercriminals posing as hiring managers focussed on internet users from some parts of Africa and Nigeria.
Pauline said that frequent internet users and people working in the field of digital marketing and sales were prime targets for this scam.
“ Cybercriminals from high end fashion brands are luring victims to download fraudulent files with the intent to steal details for social media accounts and login passwords for monetary gain.
“ As a first step, the scammers proactively contact victims via e-mails highlighting a lucrative salary package for a job role.
“ After gauging the victim’s interest, the scammers share a malicious link and persuade candidates to download documents related to the job from a cloud storage platform to successfully meet their objective,’’ she said.
According to Pauline, upon investigating the malicious files, it is usually found that scammers were using a malware to infiltrate unsuspecting victim devices.
She, however, urged users to remain cautious and take basic measures into consideration.
“ For example, understand how the recruiter found you, research the employer, make sure you have a security solution installed on your device.
“ Most importantly, avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown or suspicious senders,’’ Pauline said.
She also urged organisations to protect their employees and with social media business accounts from falling victim to this scam.
“ I recommend restricted access and established organizational rules for the use of social media business accounts.
“ Everyone should create a strong password for social media accounts and refrain from using the same password for other websites,’’ Pauline added. (NAN)
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– July 18, 2023 @ 17:17 GMT |
Tags: Mrs Shekwo Pauline
