Over the years, technology has made living far more interesting, blessing us with countless innovations that have made our lives easier, and more convenient. Gone are the dark ages where simple tasks consumed hours of our time and energy. We are in the 21st century, numerous machines keep transforming the way we live, work, and socialize. With this, it is evident that the impact of technology on humanity cannot be overemphasized. No doubt, it has truly changed humanity positively. However, there are two sides to every coin, and technology is no exception. Although it is a game changer, making life easier for us, it has its own pitfalls. One of the most significant pitfalls is cyber crimes. The rise of cybercrime has become a major concern in today’s world. Cyber crimes have been in existence, troubling so many countries, for as long as I can remember. With the look of things, it seems cyber crimes have hit its vertex in the past few years. It is scary to think of what the future holds.
Today, some people have chosen to stay out of social media platforms, debit cards, bank accounts, and even cell phones, so as to avoid falling victim of cyber crimes. However, it is crucial to note that it is crucial to note that it is challenging to survive without these technological gadgets and services. These gadgets and services have become an important part of human lives, making it difficult to live. I mean, if not for cell phones and social media platforms, how would people communicate with their loved ones? Through smoke signals or message pigeons?
Cyber crimes have become a constant threat. These criminals are relentlessly working to outsmart innocent people and destroy their lives. Some of these cyber criminals are geniuses, constantly upping their tactics and coming up with new ideas and updates. It would have been better if they could channel their energy, resources, and skills into something better and legal. On the other hand, some cyber criminals are extremely dumb and stupid, thinking one would fall for their ridiculous scams. I mean, who would believe Elon Musk sending me a DM, asking for thirty dollars to fix his car, or Wizkid begging for 100 thousand naira because his bank account got locked? Laughably clueless scammers! Regardless, we should always stay vigilant- keep your guard up every time.
One of the simplest and most common ways to become a victim of cybercrime is to let criminals into your personal space. These criminals gain access through phone calls, phishing links, and traps that would make you reveal your personal information. Here in my country, one known strategy these scammers use is calling with different numbers to get your bank information. They demand personal information, pretending to be bank staff. I remember when I opened my first bank account- Zenith Bank. That evening, I got a call from one Mr Micheal, claiming to be a staff from Zenith Bank. He had the audacity to ask for my date of birth, and when I mocked him for his amateurism, he insulted me and threatened to block my bank account. I'm sure our Mr. Micheal knew his empty threat would be just that- empty. Till today, that account remains unblocked.
I'll never forget the time I fell into the hands of these hackers. At that time, I was in my final year of secondary school. I remember it was a Friday morning. I logged in to my Facebook account to check my notifications, then I got a message from my favorite person. The message said she was participating in a singing competition at school and asked me to vote for her. I didn't think twice. She was my crush, plus she was a great singer and I wanted to support her. So, I clicked on the link she sent, which took me to a site that asked for my Facebook username and password. I naively entered my details, not realizing it was a trap set by hackers. Don’t blame me. The hacker used my crush against me. The next moment, I got logged out of my account. I was really confused. I tried to log in again, but it kept showing “incorrect password.” The hacker changed my password immediately. I also tried using the “forgotten password” button, hoping they'd send a code to my number, but to my surprise, it didn't work.
I was running late for school, so I left the situation to deal with later. But when I got back home, I realized the hacker had taken control of my account. I had to create a new one, and when I logged in, I saw that all my pictures were gone. The hacker had deleted every single one of them. I was heartbroken - that was my first Facebook account, and it held so many precious memories.
Thanks for reading.
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