GERMANTOWN, Md. (WDVM) — Every year more people are affected by cyber scams during the holiday season and because of this, FBI officials are warning the public to watch out for scams when online or when using smart devices.
Officials stress the importance of having strong cyber security as that is one way protect yourself from cyber-attacks or hacks. New smart devices used in homes make some more vulnerable to hackers. Some of these include the Amazon Echo and The Ring, a video surveillance system for homes. To protect against cyber criminals officials encourage you to change your passwords on personal networks and devices and be cautious when clicking on links.
“We think it’s really important to be careful about the links that you click on that would allow cyber criminals to actually exploit your information, not just the information on that device but information with any device,” said Jill Murphy, FBI Baltimore Field Office, Asst. Special agent.
Last year the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received over 350,000 complaints of suspected internet crime, with $2.7 billion in losses. Officials want to remind the public to immediately report suspected criminal internet activity to the FBI at www.ic3.gov
