You’ve got mail

You’ve got mail

Click on this link and lose all your money, says new Nigerian pal

Shinie Antony

27.09.2021

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a man in possession of a new computer, must be in want of a virus. Can you keep a PC, however branded and dusted, from catching a bug? In the current era of continuous online shopping, more criminals are going digital. Cybercrime saw a growth of almost 12% last year, according to latest NCRB data, making it a viable career option during Covid times. Revenge porn, identity theft, extortion …. Actors who send nudes on phone might as well post them on the net. A link clicked and your wallet’s empty. You are sleeping like a baby in Delhi when phone pings; your credit card was used in Dublin. You can be bankrupted with a remote.

Time was when people only had to worry about the straightforward burglary. Robbers snuck into homes to loot and plunder, grabbed gold god idols and any loose change. But thieves are hi-tech now, addressing you as ‘my dear’ or ‘dearest’ in SMS or email. Their spellings are iffy and names exotic. They all have large fortunes to give away and only you to give them to. Sometimes they pretend to be your friend stranded in Timbuctoo asking for money; you don’t reply, hoping they have other friends.

We first learnt of the web’s third eye when we told our boss we were on our deathbed only to be seen doing the Macarena on social media. Go to your mail and it always says ‘open in six other places’ – and you have only one ex! Deferential to future hackers, I periodically clean my browser history. Am I vitamin deficient, how to tell your suspicious BFF no one will romance her husband even if he pays for it, how many m in ‘recommend’ …. Occasionally to impress them I google brain surgery.

No use thinking up eccentric passwords – everything can be breached. Either they create a website just for you for spoofing or indulge in outright phishing. Don’t be surprised if you cannot access your files, ransomware bars you via encryption. Of course, if you pay, they may still keep your gibberish. Through the Internet of Things, one is connected to the outside world even through a toaster! The next time you get a call from your own number, don’t dismiss it as a technical glitch. It is not your alter ego or a you from the future, it is just your personal hacker saying hi.