Blake DowlingAs Floridians, we are on the cutting edge of most things in the United States. Along with Texas and California, we lead the nation in college football recruiting, retirement, technology and electoral college power.
Unfortunately, what makes us great also makes us targets.
A lot of cyber scams target the elderly in our states (fake emails/cryptolocker), our tourists (gas skimming/emv chips), government (data breaches) and businesses (boss-phishing). So we must constantly be on the lookout for cyber-crime. (Google the above items with my name and you can find previous columns on those threats).
When I wrote about some of those earlier columns, there were several references to the mob. Specifically in regards to stolen personal information like Social Security numbers and credit card numbers.
When data is stolen, it is sold to someone, usually criminal organizations. They can purchases such lists on the dark web or in person.
Let’s take a crash course in the Russian mob. With the fall of the Soviet Union, some former KGB agents, government employees, and soldiers needed somewhere to use their skills. So, why not start a global international crime syndicate?
The Russian mafia, according to various sources, is comprised of 10 brigades that operate independently of one another. Their top revenue streams are the drug trade and human trafficking.
However, their e-crime division is expanding. The total annual revenue is estimated at almost $10 billion for the Russian mob. From a business perspective it is interesting to note that although they act independently, the groups pool their resources and meet annually to discuss how to divide the money.
A 12-person council hosts the meeting and the sessions are said to be disguised as festive occasions.
The Russians are not the only ones into cyber-crime. U.S. and Japanese crime syndicates are deep into the e-crime game. In the U.S. conservative estimates put identity-theft costs at $20 billion per year.
The landscape for anyone who uses computer technology has gotten very tricky to navigate. Last year I got a call from American Express asking if I was in Milan buying a fur coat. That sounds lovey, and I am in desperate need of a new one, however I am in Tallahassee.
But I had recently been to Greece and I can only imagine how they got my American Express number.
A typical scam might have gone down like this: my lovely wife and I are having some baklava and ouzo shots at the end of the day. I ask for the check, the waiter takes the card and the bill, sneaks around the corner, takes a photograph of the card, and then runs the transaction.
They wait a few weeks and then, boom, they are on the phone with a fur-coat shop. AMX does a great job notifying its clients of fraud. They called me, declined the purchase, reported the crime, and shipped me a new card that I had the next day.
Here some tips:
— when traveling, always notify your credit card carrier of your destinations
— if you accept credit cards, deploy EMV chip technology
— use the latest anti-virus and anti-spam products on your computer
— keep all passwords complex and change them often
— only shop on secure online stores as noted by the first letters of HTTPS in the web address
— have a dedicated card for online shopping
— review all accounts and your credit score regularly
— have a robust firewall in your office
— don’t be click happy with emails from strangers and friends alike
— use common sense.
There is no foolproof way to avoid all cyber-criminals, but using best practices like the ones above will help keep Russian mobsters out of your wallet.
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Blake Dowling is chief business development officer at Aegis Business Technologies. His technology column is published by several organizations. Contact him at [email protected] or at www.aegisbiztech.com. Column courtesy of Context Florida.
