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Doha: Ministries, government agencies and financial institutions have been issuing guidelines from time to time to protect people from falling prey to cyber criminals.
The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and the Ministry of Interior (MoI) recently shared some tips on their X accounts with people to save them from scammers and secure their electronic accounts.
A scam is a deceptive scheme used to trick you out of your money, properties, or other types of assets you may own. It is not always easy to spot a con or scam. Scammers may pose as people, agencies, or companies you know and trust. Scams can occur over the phone, through the mail, over the internet, or in person, and you may not be able to spot the scam until it is too late.
The scammers clone websites to trick you into sharing sensitive information. The MCIT, sharing the tip to prevent falling for scam websites, said, “The clone websites mimic official government sites as they look identical to them. Arm yourself with knowledge to stay one step ahead. Verify website domain extension. All official websites in Qatar end with the extension (gov.qa), that’s your main verification.”
The ministry added, “Check the domain name and the URL. Scammers often tweak URLs to resemble real ones by misspelling domain name or using characters that look similar to those of official government websites. And be wary of the sponsored websites. Scammers can buy ads sponsoring fake website to appear first in search engine results.”
MoI advised the public to ensure the safety of their electronic accounts while travelling outside the country.
When travelling, it is crucial to maintain the best information security practices to protect yourself and your personal data from various cybercrimes encountered while on the go.
“Ensure all your devices are protected with strong passwords and keep all your devices updated with the latest software. Avoid connecting to public Wi-Fi, especially when conducting transactions. Enable multi-factor authentication for all your accounts and never leave your devices unattended in public areas. Stay vigilant and keep yourself safe and secure while travelling,” the ministry said.
