While Covid-19 led more people to go digital, opening up more hacking opportunities for cyber crooks, the pandemic blues most likely hit online fraudsters just like everyone else and stifled their ability to carry out attacks to their full extent.
Worldwide, more sophisticated online fraud attacks carried out personally by fraudsters, such as impersonation scams, fell when Covid-19 cases rose and restrictions kicked in, financial crime analysis company LexisNexis Risk Solutions told The Straits Times.
At the same time, simple online fraud attacks carried out by bots, for example, with software that tries to hack online accounts using stolen log-in details, increased when Covid-19 cases rose.
In Singapore, this trend may play out in some way, said LexisNexis Risk Solutions, as Covid-19 cases surged in the second half of this year, and observations here so far have been similar to what has happened elsewhere in the world.
The trend tended to reverse when the Covid-19 situation eased and restrictions were relaxed.
This was the case in Singapore in the first six months of this year, when Covid-19 cases fell initially after the implementation of government safe management measures.
Online fraud attacks by bots fell 34 per cent then, compared with the same period a year earlier.
In contrast, online fraud attacks carried out by people rose 34 per cent in the first six months of this year, the latest data from the company showed. About 7.8 million digital identities were studied here, including online app accounts, online shopping accounts and others.
Bu hikaye The Straits Times dergisinin December 07, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye The Straits Times dergisinin December 07, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
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