In the digital age, where convenience and speed often take precedence over caution, it's no surprise that cybercriminals find increasingly cunning ways to trick us into doing their dirty work.

According to a recent study by Gen, the cybersecurity powerhouse behind several apps, the latest trend in online fraud, known as 'Scam Yourself' attacks, has seen a staggering 600 per cent increase.

This alarming rise in self-inflicted cybercrime is a wake-up call for all of us, especially for those over 60 who may not be as tech-savvy as younger generations.

So, what exactly is a 'Scam Yourself' attack? It's a form of social engineering where scammers manipulate individuals into downloading malware onto their own devices.

According to a Gen study, 'Scam yourself' attacks have increased by 614 per cent in one quarter. Credit: Unsplash

They trick users into believing they're performing a necessary action, such as updating software or fixing a computer issue, when, in reality, they're installing harmful programs that can steal personal information, corrupt files, or even lock them out of their systems.

You might see a popup while browsing, urging you to update your software.

Be wary of these notifications, especially if they don't come from your browser or operating system's official settings menu.

Always verify the update's authenticity and the website's URL before proceeding.

Searching for a quick fix to a computer problem online can also lead you to seemingly helpful websites.

These sites may instruct you to enter specific commands into your computer that will supposedly solve your issue but instead grant attackers access to your system.

There are also misleading tutorials, online forums, and video platforms like YouTube that are rife with tutorials for tech fixes.

However, scammers are creating fake guides that instruct users to disable security software and execute dangerous commands, resulting in malware being installed on your device.

Scammers are now mimicking those 'I'm not a robot' checks, known as captchas.

They may look legitimate, but following the instructions can lead to downloading malware. Norton reports that over 2 million people have been targeted by this scam in the past quarter alone.

The allure of these scams lies in their simplicity and the trust we place in the digital processes we use every day.

Cybercriminals exploit our desire for quick solutions and our habit of accepting updates without question.

To protect yourself from these insidious attacks, it's crucial to slow down and scrutinise every unusual request or instruction your device presents you with.

If something seems off, it probably is. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

To stay safe online, always download updates directly from official sources and be cautious of websites or tutorials that suggest disabling antivirus software or entering unfamiliar commands.

Verify the legitimacy of URLs before following any online instructions, and ensure you use reputable, up-to-date antivirus software to guard against threats.

Additionally, stay informed about the latest scams by subscribing to cybersecurity newsletters from trusted sources.

Key Takeaways

• 'Scam yourself' attacks, which rely on social engineering to get people to download malware themselves, have increased by 614 per cent from one quarter to the next, according to a study by Gen.
• Users should be wary of fake updates, as these scams can trick them into downloading harmful software by appearing as a necessary update.
• Scammers created fake tutorials and fixes that led to malware, often advising users to perform actions like disabling antivirus software or running commands that install the malware.
• To protect against these scams, individuals should take time to verify the authenticity of updates, fixes, and CAPTCHAs and be cautious of quick solutions found online.

How can older adults spot the warning signs of a 'Scam Yourself' attack? What are the best ways to check if online tutorials and update requests are legitimate? Let us know in the comments below.

 

[deni67]

And like I always tell people on computers or laptops, never ever have your remote access ticked, always have it as don't allow remote connections to this computer.
To find it just go down to your start menu on the bottom left and type in 'remote access', select it from the list and if it's ticked to allow then untick it.
That's another safe guard to helping you stay safe.
Never tick it if you're told to unless it's by a trusted friend or family member that wants access to your computer to fix it!

 

[maggiej]

Just this week I had two emails from supposedly my internet provider advising me to confirm my logon details. Haha to them I could see it was not legit. I did report to IInet

 

[RobbyNotTheRobot]

I quote from the above
This alarming rise in self-inflicted cybercrime is a wake-up call for all of us, especially for those over 60 who may not be as tech-savvy as younger generations.
Unquote.

Now computers and even moble phones that are just mini computers has been around in the mainstream for ruffly 30 years so today's 60yo was 30 back then. And scams and viruses have been around since then and been reported in media now and again since those times.
As veggiepatch said they are the fools for letting themselves be scammed or had dementia dumbed them down?
How many times must the message get through about being vigilant and learning from others.
I have not purchased any anti-virus in the 27 years I have been online and only once got a virus back in the late '90s when lots where sent as .bat files in emails and I was trying to right click to open the .bat file to see the code and not left click to run it and kapow I left clicked it and my 20 gig hd filed up with 1.000s of files clogging up the system so much I had to format and reinstall Win98 2nd edition AND my home server running NT4 on a Compaq rack mount server as the virus went there as well.

 

[deni67]

I quote from the above
This alarming rise in self-inflicted cybercrime is a wake-up call for all of us, especially for those over 60 who may not be as tech-savvy as younger generations.
Unquote.

Now computers and even moble phones that are just mini computers has been around in the mainstream for ruffly 30 years so today's 60yo was 30 back then. And scams and viruses have been around since then and been reported in media now and again since those times.
As veggiepatch said they are the fools for letting themselves be scammed or had dementia dumbed them down?
How many times must the message get through about being vigilant and learning from others.
I have not purchased any anti-virus in the 27 years I have been online and only once got a virus back in the late '90s when lots where sent as .bat files in emails and I was trying to right click to open the .bat file to see the code and not left click to run it and kapow I left clicked it and my 20 gig hd filed up with 1.000s of files clogging up the system so much I had to format and reinstall Win98 2nd edition AND my home server running NT4 on a Compaq rack mount server as the virus went there as well.

Iv'e been on the computer since 1999 and have seen many virus's come and go, but not on my machine, I have it protected to the gills..
You may not even know you have a virus and/or a tracker inside your computer laying dormant ready to spring at a moments notice..
Good luck with that!