SINGAPORE – The age-old adage of not talking to strangers applies when protecting yourself against scams, according to cyber security expert Anthony Lim.
Each person is his or her own best defence against scams, and those who deal with others online should verify the identities of the other parties.
“We need to do our due diligence,” said Mr Lim, a fellow at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
“Even if someone is from a rich or seemingly real organisation, you need to (verify it with) alternative sources.”
Examples include finding out the person’s career history or whether the organisation has a legitimate office address.
“Go on social media and find out (about the person)… before you come to a conclusion whether you want to deal with this person or not,” said Mr Lim.
He also said that for transactions involving a large sum of money, it is only reasonable and fair that the deals are done in a physical meeting.
A scammer might give up if a potential victim insists on meeting face to face.
“Then you save your money… (and) yourself the trouble of getting into a scam,” added Mr Lim.
He was speaking to The Straits Times’ Invest editor Tan Ooi Boon about avoiding scams at the askST @ NLB discussion titled Financial Security: Protect Your Nest Egg From Scammers.
askST @ NLB is a collaboration between ST and the National Library Board (NLB).
The virtual talk was shared on ST’s Facebook page at 7pm on Friday (Feb 25).
Mr Lim said people are less vigilant when…
