The tremendous impact of technology in the world today can't be quantified, and despite the ease it has brought to our lives, there are some things about it that a lot of people wish didn't exist. People encountering or experiencing these things didn't end well, and it has influenced their interest negatively towards other innovations, which could have benefited them in numerous ways.
I have met people who don't use debit cards or even do online transactions, they prefer going through the bank stress to withdraw their money when they need it, and despite trying to make them understand that being scammed can be prevented despite using modern banking technology, they just can't change their minds. I honestly can't blame them for their decisions because I don't know how bad the experience affected them, but regardless of what anyone thinks, many of those technological innovations out there were built to help us one way or another, but these innovations in the wrong hands and minds can be a very terrible thing.
It is fair to say that every innovation has its flaws, and that's one of the reasons why I always encourage people to be very careful in the tech space.
Cybercrime has become one of the most rampant misconducts out there, and it's sad to see people fall victim every day despite stepping up our approach to cybersecurity. These cyber criminals are always working day and night to beat our security and sometimes, I wish they can channel, their time, knowledge, effort and other resources into something positive.
Over the years, there have been so many cybercrime cases globally, and it baffles me if the culprits do not have a bit of conscience to know that they caused chaos in someone's life. With cybercrime, you can't be too smart, and that's why you can't be too careful as well.
One of the things I have learned about cybercrime is that before anyone becomes a victim, you must have unknowningly given someone permission into your space. These permissions include giving someone too much access to your device, falling for pishing and malware traps, visiting compromised websites, and so many others. We most times do many things unintentionally, but that doesn't change the fact that we became victims.
I remembered when scammers started calling random numbers pretending to be bank staff and demanding sensitive information. A lot of people were scammed, and despite a lot of reports and warning before about these things, it's sad people still get scammed today with these same methods. Although it is a completely different story for some victims, and regardless of what mistake the victims commit, it doesn't justice the culprit's actions.
I have never been a victim of cyber security failure, but I know someone who was. It happened during my days in the polytechnic, and I really didn't know how the case ended because even banks weren't helpful in that particular case.
A coursemate of mine went to a cafe to make her school fee payment while preparing for our final exams, and she had to use her debit card. According to her, the transaction didn't go through, probably due to server congestion or something else.
Later that day, she got different debit alerts, and by the time she checked her account, it was empty. It was late in the night, and there was nothing she could do about it until the next day. When she narrated the whole story to me, I told her that the whole magic was done at the cafe, and they just waited till that time it happened so she wouldn't have anything against them.
As predicted, they denied it, and upon getting to the bank, they said she purchased some items with her card and so on. She informed the police, and because of the examination, she couldn't follow up properly. I heard she took the case seriously after exams but can't say how it ended.
Just like her case, there are numerous numbers of cases like this happening everyday which are left unresolved because the culprits left no traces of themselves in the whole process. It's even worse with cryptocurrency where hackers would gain access in wallet, cart away with whatever is there and go scot free.
Like I mentioned earlier, you can't be too careful when it has to do with you being heavily involved in the tech space.
There is evil lurking around, and in the twinkle of an eye, they can wreck havoc. While we enjoy and get carried away with our dependence on different innovations, we should keep in mind that there is a darker side to every innovation out there. Cybercrime remains a pervasive threat, and its consequences can be brutal, so protecting ourselves as much as we can is very important.
It remains a fact that we are all exposed to risk in the cyberspace, but taking the necessary precautions can prevent us from becoming victims.
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