Cloetesville police are warning locals to be alert to online scams after a recent uptick in cyber-crime reporting.

Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Zenobia Sedeman says in five of the recently reported cases the victims were making online purchases when they were targeted, adding that the elderly are especially vulnerable to such scams.

Police war that banks would never contact people to confirm their banking details. “Cyber-crime is primarily driven by financial gain,” Sedeman says.

“These acts are carried out by issuing threats and, once they have what they want, malicious software (malware), social engineering and system vulnerabilities are unleashed on their accounts.”

To combat cyber-crimes residents are urged to use strong authentication by creating unique and complex passwords for different accounts and enable multi-factor authentication.

Sedeman warns against clicking on suspicious links or downloading attachments from unknown senders. Cyber-criminals aim to steal personal or financial information to access or open accounts, and open lines of credit, doing so by assuming somebody else’s identity. If it is “too good to be true”, then it is, Sedeman adds.

Report cyber-crime at a police station or on 08600 10111.