Is it Real? 4 Ways to Identify a Fake Degree Certificate

It is shocking to discover how many fake degrees are actually out there and they are becoming a massive global problem! Buying a fake degree certificate is only a small part of the problem; those who already have degrees are also faking their academic transcripts and adding or altering their qualifications on their CVs.

Fake credentials such as fake degree certificates are a growing issue in South Africa. Just a year or two ago the country had a large increase in the number or fraudulent qualifications reported and those were just the fake credentials reported, the real number is probably through the roof.

As a business or university,  it can be worrying, who amongst your employees was actually telling the truth about their qualifications?

Here’s how you can identify if it is a fake degree certificate.

DESIGN

Always inspect the design of the degree and be aware that a genuine certificate will be embossed with a watermark visible under a light. The signature should also not be printed but written in ink without any silly spelling mistakes.

LANGUAGE

The language and grammar on a degree certificate should always be studied thoroughly. There should be no spelling errors or incorrect order of words such as “Cape Town University” instead of “The University of Cape Town.”

LOCATION

Always double check the location of the university to confirm that it is a genuine institute. By using Google maps you’ll be able to locate the address provided and spot any fake universities.

TRUST THE PROFESSIONALS

By simply following the steps provided you’ll be saving yourself a lot of hassles in the long run. 

Should you need some assistance please do not hesitate to contact our OSINT department about our Due Diligence processes on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za. Alternatively, you can email chris@tcgforensics.co.za for more details on how our pre-employment due diligence can help YOU get the right candidate!

Are you Flirting with a Dating Bot?

Guess what, dating bots are a real thing and falling for one is easier than you think.

Online dating is supposed to be fun and convenient, you get to chat with new, fascinating people that could potentially turn into love interests plus it takes away that first-date awkwardness.

But it’s never that simple.

Dating online has many pitfalls including dating bots that clog almost all the online dating sites you use. Did you know that almost 60% of traffic online is generated by bots? This includes dating websites and social media sites.

Online dating bots are specifically designed to chat with you and trick you into paying membership fees on dating websites; they can even trick you into giving out your private information such as your banking details.

Here’s how to recognize a dating bot:

• Their profile picture is a professional glamour shot.
• They profess their undying love for you a day or two after chatting.
• They make promises to meet you in person, but something always comes up.
• They ask you for money for things such as emergency medical bills, travel expenses, etc.

It is important that you know that there is a difference between dating bots and malicious scammers. A scammer is a cybercriminal who wants to steal your money and possibly your personal information, but a dating bot is an automated computer script.

Are you flirting with a dating bot? Here are some signs to look out for:

• They have automated scripts so they will respond to your messages really fast.
• They don’t respond directly to you if you ask a specific question instead, they’ll respond with a series of lines.
• They don’t have mutual friends or interests.
• They immediately encourage you to visit a specific site or share your personal information with them.

Despite all the negatives about online dating, in this day and age online dating is a great way to meet new people and possibly find your perfect companion.

If you think you’ve been scammed, contact OSINT immediately on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za.

What are Online Ticket Scams?

Online ticket scammers usually target various, popular events or destinations to try and take advantage or all the people who are desperately rushing and searching for tickets for buy.

Fake tickets for various events include:

- Concerts
- Conferences
- Plays
- Sporting events
- Live performances
- Shows
- Flight or train tickets
- Other special events

In general, all the tickets that these scammers sell are completely fake. Other times the tickets don’t exist, to begin with, so you pay but never receive anything.

Since 2015 online ticket scams have been increasing and occurring more often. Scammers have been having a field day because of all the popular shows and events that are happening these days.

Here are some tell-tale signs to lookout for:

- The prices are much higher than the regular ticket price OR the prices are suspiciously low.

- Before you buy tickets from a website, always check the contact details to make sure it’s legitimate.
- If the website URL doesn’t include “https” you’re most likely dealing with a scammer.

- If the seller requests a very specific payment for the ticket such as cash, a gift card or cryptocurrency, it’s most likely a scam.

- If they’re selling the tickets on social media, the language is stilted and it seems English isn’t their first language.

- Their social media profile includes no details, all their posts were made a couple of days ago and their friends were all recently added.

And obviously, if it feels like it is too good to be true then it probably is!

If you paid for fake tickets, contact OSINT immediately on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za. And we will do everything we can to assist you in getting your money back and catching the scammers!

How to spot a Social Media Scam

Social media has made it possible for people to interact with each other from all over the world – everyone knows what everyone else is doing, where they’re going on vacation, when they got married, etc.

However, social media networks have also made it possible for more users to become victims of scams. Over the last few years, social media scams have basically quadrupled with fake accounts popping up everywhere.

Don’t become the next victim of a scam – here’s how to spot, prevent and deal with social media scams:

- There is an ad or poster offering an amazing deal or job that sounds too good to be true.
- A job, prize or loan application asks you to pay upfront beforehand.
- A popular company uses a Yahoo or Gmail email account to contact you.
- You are urged to act immediately!
- They ask you to share your private information.
- You get a friend request from a “friend” but they ask you random questions or for money.

How to prevent social media scams from happening:

- Preventing social media scams is easy; all you have to do is use your common sense!
- Always think before you click on something.
- If it sounds dodgy or overly intrusive, ignore it.
- Never share your personal information on social media sites.
- Be wary when it comes to loan scams – here are the red flags to look out for.
- Never agree to pay for something upfront without being certain that it’s legitimate.
- Go through your social media privacy settings on a regular basis to ensure they haven’t changed.
- Never post any personal information about yourself that can be stolen and used to steal your identity.

If you’re a victim, here’s what to do:

- Shut down your computer and use a different device to change all your passwords immediately.
- Put out a fraud alert on your credit to stop any loans or lines of credit the scammer may try to take out.
- Call our OSINT division for professional assistance: 021 110 0422 | contact@osint.co.za
- Tell your friends so that they know about the scam and can avoid it if it pops up on their social media feeds.

Do not let the social media scammers bait and hook you – always be safe online!

Use Facebook more safely with these 5 Security Tips

Facebook is an awesome way to stay in touch with your friends and family members, however, you need to remember to always be careful about the private information your reveal because it might end up in the wrong hands!

These days a range of financial scams can be used to try and steal your money, one of them is cybercriminals making fake Facebook profiles and sending friend requests in order to gain your personal information.

This is why it is vital to be careful when you are using Facebook as well as any other social media network.

Here are 5 important Facebook security tips:

1. Always verify all Facebook contacts. Make sure that you are actually talking to the person you think you’re talking to and not a criminal trying to gain your personal information or money.

2. Protect your financial information. Never tell anyone about your private banking details such as your bank account details, credit card numbers and passwords or any other financial data on Facebook.

3. Be suspicious of strangers. Never add or accept any friend requests from people that you do not know.

4. Keep your password a secret. Always take extra care about the password you choose as it is one of the most vital parts of your Facebook security.

- Use a complicated password that is at least 12 characters and consists of upper and lower case letters, a number and special symbol.
- Remember to change your password on a regular basis.
- Never use the same passwords for all your accounts.

5. Secure all your devices. Make sure to install anti-malware software on your computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet – whatever devices you use – to ensure that everything is protected from viruses as well as any other threats.

Need assistance with your Facebook security? Have you been the victim on Facebook? Please contact our OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) Division on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za | www.osint.co.za

The Threats and Dangers on the Dark Web

The internet is an endless place with millions of websites, databases and servers. The visible sites that can be found when you Google something are just the tip of the iceberg.

Below the surface is the deep web and the dark web. It was once only available to hackers, criminals and law enforcement, but now because of new technologies it is possible for just about anyone to access the dark web!

Did you know – The deep and dark web is so large that it accounts for 90% of all websites!

Those who wish to access the dark web or the deep web need to use Tor, a browser software like Google, but the difference is Tor uses “nodes”, a random path of encrypted servers to connect users to the dark web without their tracks being followed.

Websites on the dark web also use the Tor software to remain unnamed so you won’t be able to find out who has created them, who is running them or who is hosting them.

Many people actually use Tor as a regular browser to search the surface web as well as the dark web. Why? Because they refer their search history to remain hidden from the government and their internet service providers.

But using Tor comes with a negative side as cyber criminals and hackers also prefer to use it.

For some people the deep web and the dark web is convenient when it comes to finding series and movies that may not be available in their areas yet, while others go a bit deeper to download music and movies that aren’t even in cinemas yet. However at the deep, dark end of the internet you’ll find some scary and strange things.

Things like credit card data, fake identity documents, passports and even professional hitman services are available on the dark web. Illegal substances are one of the most popular items to buy on the dark web – learn more about the drug marketplace, the Silk Road here.

Thanks to a range of tools such as encryption and anonymization, there is little to no law enforcement down in the deep and dark web. This means that many materials such as “adult” content that will give you nightmares can be found there.

If you do choose to go deep into the dark web always make sure to restrict access to your device so that children do not have the ability to accidentally stumble across it. Should you visit the dark web or the deep web, always remember to be careful and tread lightly, you never know what you might find down there!

Should you need any of our OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) services please do not hesitate to contact us on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za.

How CCTV Footage can assist in Crime Investigations, Evidence & Prevention

CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) surveillance cameras can be used as a useful tool when it comes to fighting crime, finding valuable evidence that can be used in court and ensuring the streets are kept safe.

The very presence of a CCTV camera can sometimes scare criminals away and prevent the crimes from happening in the first place.

Investigators such as police investigators and digital forensics investigators use CCTV footage from cameras in many investigations, often to find licence plate numbers and identify criminals.

In movies and series, all their CCTV video evidence is conveniently shot in HD, with perfect lighting and no blurriness whatsoever. Unfortunately this doesn’t happen in real life. OSINT and digital forensics investigators use specialised forensic software to reveal details in videos that you thought were lost forever, resulting in an almost perfectly clear video that you can use to identify someone or something!

Call 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za today should you need our Open-Source Intelligence or digital forensics services - we offer CCTV and image enhancement as well as image source verification and integrity assessments. 

There are many ways that CCTV surveillance cameras can help crimes, here’s how:

- CCTV cameras can be used to monitor your home or business while you are away.

- The CCTV footage can be cleaned up by professionals (www.osint.co.za) and used to identify suspects, witness and vehicles.

- Digital forensics investigators can use the footage to find important clues as well as identify the behaviour of the suspect.

-  Footage can be used to create a timeline of events before and after the incident or crime took place.

- CCTV camera footage can be used to determine measurements and dimensions of objects involved in crimes.

- Footage can also be utilized to determine where the exit and entry points are of the scene of the crime.

- In abduction cases, the CCTV footage will be useful in tracking down the suspects and possibly saving someone’s life.

- Video footage can be used to prove or disprove allegations against someone.

- Sometimes if the footage is used as evidence of a crime it could result in a guilty plea from the suspect.

Many people and businesses in South Africa and around the world are installing CCTV camera systems as part of an effort to protect themselves against crimes as well as prevent it from happening.

10 silly things you do online that are putting you in danger!

You may not be someone who takes risks. You may be someone who follows all the rules, you pay your bills on time, you always wear your seatbelt and you even put on sunblock when it’s a cloudy day.

But do you follow all the rules when you’re online? Are you exposing yourself and your money to the dangers that lurk on the internet? Here are 10 silly things that you might be doing that put you at risk!

1. You just assume that online banking websites are safe. Cybercriminals will go where your money goes, so going to a fake banking site and not noticing before you put in your private login details and password can easily lead to cyber theft.

2. You’re doing your online shopping in shady places. You see a great deal online, but you need to be cautious before you visit just any online shop and click “Add to Cart.” Always enter the URL directly and make sure the site is reliable and well-known.

3. You use the same password for everything. If you’re not taking the time to think of unique, different passwords for all your accounts then cybercriminals will have no trouble stealing your money. Each one of your passwords should be a minimum of 12 characters and include upper class and lower class letters, at least one number and a special character.

4. You don’t know who your friends are. It might make you feel cool to be friends with everyone from your hometown, but it is always advised to be cautious when accepting just any friend request on Facebook. Do not accept anyone you don’t know personally!

5. You never question anything. You should always be on alert when you go online and question how legit the websites are when you visit them, you could potentially lose money and private data. Never click on ads and links from suspicious emails or SMS messages.

6. You’re being too open. You might just think it’s a Facebook post, but when you include personal details such as your address, school, place of work or family history then you’re giving cybercriminals clues to gain your passwords.

7. You never bother to read the fine print. Nobody enjoys reading the Terms and Conditions that is why online businesses know they can take advantage and sneak some things past you. Do not accept the Ts and Cs without reading them or you could be giving away your online privacy.

8. You do your shopping and banking using public Wi-Fi. Cybercriminals love to use public Wi-Fi hotspots to trick you into connecting to a malicious network. Always be wary of public Wi-Fi links and make sure your network is completely secure – your best bet is to just use your data connection for important transactions!

9. You jailbreak your mobile devices. By jailbreaking your device you are doing more than adding features, you are taking away vital protections and inviting cybercriminals to hack your smartphone or tablet. Avoid jailbreaks, third party download sites and suspicious apps.

10. You don’t know what your kids are doing online. If you have children you should always know what websites they are visiting as well as what social media networks they are using. The internet is going to be a part of their life whether you like it or not, so help them learn about cyberbullying and online etiquette.

Are you exposing yourself as well as your private data to the dangerous cybercriminals that lurk online? If so, be sure to take the right steps to avoid making these silly mistakes. 

Should you need any assistance or have any questions please contact the OSINT | Open Source Intelligence Division or Digital Forensics on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za additionally you can take a look at the website www.osint.co.za | www.tcgforensics.co.za

The Top 4 Malicious File Attachments to look out for

Billions of messages are sent out every day by spammers, most of it is annoying advertising and harmless in general, but every now and again there is a dangerous file attachment in one of the messages!

To trick you into opening the attachment, most spammers will pretend it is something useful or important such as a Word document, gift card, a PDF, etc.

Here are the top 4 dangerous file attachments to look out for…

1. ZIP and RAR archives – Cybercriminals like to use archives to hide the malware they are trying to send you! On Valentine’s Day this year attackers were sending out files named Love_You_0899 to people into clicking them and installing ransomware.

2. Microsoft Office documents – Word documents as well as Excel spreadsheets are some of the most popular Microsoft Office files cybercriminals love to use. Most of the time, they will target office workers and disguise the malware files as urgent messages, contracts or bills.

3. PDF files – A lot of people know about Microsoft Office booby traps, but not much about PDF files. Cybercriminals are fond of concealing malware in PDF files because it can be used to create and run JavaScript files as well as phishing links in the documents.

4. ISO and IMG disk images – These files are rarely used however lately cybercriminals have been using these files to spread malware. Attackers will use the disk images to deliver malware to a victim’s computer by putting a malicious executable file inside the image.

Do not be fooled by file attachments that seem to be an amazing offer, important PDF or urgent  message!

Never open suspicious emails from email addresses you do not know and always use a the right security tools that will notify you of any dangerous files and notify you of them.

Do you feel unsafe? Be sure to contact OSINT | Open-Source Intelligence on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za otherwise learn more on www.osint.co.za

What was Silk Road and how did it work?

Perhaps one of the biggest, most popular stories involving the dark web, was the shutdown of Silk Road, an online black market that trafficked basically any illegal goods, from guns and drugs to private personal data and malware.

A few years ago, the mastermind behind the Silk Road, Ross William Ulbricht aka Dread Pirate Roberts, was arrested and sentenced to life in prison. He was convicted of seven drug and conspiracy charges, including drug trafficking, computer hacking and money laundering. Ross was also accused of soliciting multiple murders for hire.

Ross sent a letter to a U.S. District Judge prior to his sentencing, saying that he had made a “terrible mistake.” “In creating Silk Road, I ruined my life and destroyed my future,” he wrote.

First let’s get this out of the way; Ross William Ulbricht is extremely smart. I mean, it’s not that simple to build and maintain a secret internet site, on which criminals traded drugs and assassinations for years!

“People should have the right to buy and sell whatever they wanted so long as they weren’t hurting anyone else.” – This was Ross Ulbricht’s vision when he created the Silk Road.

After the closure of the infamous online drug bazaar, the underground industry suffered a major setback, and while Silk Road was over and done with, its shutdown has not stopped the use of illegal online markets for purchasing illegal drugs.

If anything, most people have learnt a crucial lesson from the Silk Road take down, and have come up with almost seal-proof underground sites. This unfortunate event has made it even harder for authorities and law enforcers to close down the illegal dark markets on the dark web.

These new sites that have popped up after Silk Road are also part of a hive of illegal activities ranging from counterfeiting to pornography and gambling. This has made them perfect breeding grounds for illicit drugs trading.

But, let’s get back to the story of Silk Road. How exactly do you manage to sell drugs and all sorts of illegal things online without getting caught for more than two years? Can you really buy a gun on the web as easily as you can buy something from Amazon?

Well, not exactly, but it wasn’t that hard thanks to Tor and bitcoins. Here’s how Silk Road worked before the law shut it down…

Ross operated Silk Road on Tor, which is a special network on the internet designed to make it impossible to physically locate the computers hosting or accessing the websites on the network.

If you try to navigate to the Silk Road URL on a normal browser, you will get an error. To view it you need to install Tor software on your browser, although you can’t try that now since the site has been seized.

So how did Ross Ulbricht get caught in the end? Tor said that he made some mistakes in operational security and was caught by actual detective work, rather than exploiting problems with Tor.  The FBI managed to track him down in part thanks to an online post that linked to a Gmail account.

But how did Silk Road actually operate? Well, all you needed to do was install Tor, type in the Silk Road URL (you would need a username, password and country to sign up) and you would easily be inside.

Once you enter Silk Road on the dark web it’s actually just like an illegal Amazon.com! You could shop by category, whether it be “Weapons” or “Illegal Substances”, or even look through the photos of the current inventory.

A customer service section presumably provided assistance when your batch of drugs were a bit late; there were also product listings with descriptions, seller information, reviews and the famous “add to cart” button.

Silk Road relied on the virtual bitcoin currency, like Tor, bitcoins are not actually illegal; however they are often used for criminal purposes.

So, you’ve paid for your illegal products online, but how do you actually get that package in the mail? Wouldn’t you get caught if your package contained drugs or weapons? The answer is yes, possibly! It was basically just a shot in the dark; some packages might be intercepted, while others arrive safely.

In the end, the ironic thing was that Ross Ulbricht was caught in part because he had counterfeit documents shipped to him, which were intercepted by customs and he was then arrested.

Do you want to learn more? “Deep Web” is a documentary that was made in 2015 that tells it all and unravels the tangled web of secrecy, accusations and criminal activity behind Silk Road and the arrest of Ross Ulbricht. 

After many years the Silk Road story is still complicated and has many twists and turns!

Do you have more questions or enquiries about the deep and dark web? Feel free to call OSINT on 021 110 0422 or email email contact@osint.co.za or learn more here www.osint.co.za

The Deep Web Vs. The Dark Web

You’ve heard the words before, but you don’t really know what they mean except that they sound scary. You think it’s a place where all the hackers lurk, but the truth is you’re not really sure.

Let’s clear the air on what each concept is and what you can find on them.

DEEP WEB

First of all you need to know that the deep web and the dark web are not the same thing, although they can sometimes overlap.

The deep web contains pages that are not indexed, meaning they will not pop up after a search on most search engines such as Google. These pages are basically invisible; unless you know the direct link or click on the link once you get in the deep side of the web.

Here are a few things you can find on the deep web:

- Personal email accounts
- Social media accounts
- Online banking accounts
- Businesses private databases
- Medical record
- Legal records

DARK WEB

The deep web is deep, but the dark web is even deeper. It is like the deep web meaning you cannot access it unless you know exactly where to go, however the dark web is more focused on illegal activities, products and services.

On the dark web you can expect to find some pretty gruesome things, including:

- A marketplace for illegal drugs and weapons
- Blueprints for 3D printing things, mostly illegal things
- WikiLeaks documents
- Abuse videos (children, animals, etc.)
- Child pornography content
- Marketplace for hiring hitmen
- Snuff films and “red rooms” – these are often said to be urban legend
- Recipes on how to eat and cook human meat

Watch this video to learn more about what horrific things can be found on the dark web here!

Please be aware that the dark place is in fact a dangerous place, especially if you are not particularly a tech-savvy person. Do not go snooping on the dark web out of curiosity, well at least not without being properly prepared!

Should you have any questions or queries please contact OSINT on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za otherwise learn more about our open-source intelligence & digital forensics services on www.osint.co.za or www.tcgforensics.co.za

The 7 Worst Social Media Scams

Cyber criminals are everywhere, they’re even terrorizing your social media news feed!

In this day and age your personal information such as where you go, what you do, who you chat to and what you like can be used as valuable data by cyber criminals. These cyber criminals will sell your private data to people who will use it to target ads, launch campaigns and other malicious operations.

You may be thinking to yourself, I’m only one person; no one is going to target me. Well, you’re very wrong! Should you fall victim to a social media scam it not only affects you, it affects your entire network of friends and contacts.

Make sure you know these common social media scams and avoid them as best you can…

1. Quizzes, Surveys & Contests. These scams are cute enough to make you think they’re completely innocent. And while you might think it’s all fun and games when they ask you your mothers date of birth or maiden name so you can see what Game of Thrones character you are, they are in fact getting information about you and your loved ones – do not click on these!

2. Clickbait. It’s almost irresistible to ignore that headline and not click on that unbelievable article, but the truth is it’s just bad actors doing a really good job at knowing what clickbait will tempt you. Should you click you’ll be redirected to where they want you to go, most of the time it’s to a fake login page where they can steal your information!

3. Cash Requests. Someone you know is desperately asking for money be aware that it could be someone who has hacked into their account and is not spamming every one of their friends, asking for money. Always double check with your friend if you receive a request for money on a social media website.

4. Short URLs. They save space, but criminals on social media sites are using these shortened URLs to trick you into clicking them and spreading virus, malware and so much more! Before you click on anything, check on http://www.checkshorturl.com/ to ensure it will take you to the official website.

5. Suspicious Friend Requests. This one is obvious, but whenever someone sends you a friend request always ask yourself, why? If you can’t think of a reason rather ignore the friend request. In today’s digital world, you can never trust the kindness of strangers, especially those on social media.

6. Double friend Requests. You have probably experienced this one before, you received a friend requests from a friend you already have and justify it as their new profile or a mishap and accept the request. Well, it’s not your friend; it’s a cybercriminal hoping you let them in!

7. Fake Emergencies. These “emergencies” will seem to be from a friend or the social media site itself informing you of something critically important on your account. Cyber criminals are hoping you’ll be a panicked state and enter your login details, giving them access to your private information. Never trust links within messages, posts, or emails.

The good news for you is that these scams are easy to spot and avoid, the bad news is that millions of users who are not tech-savvy will be innocent enough to fall for them!

Have you fallen victim? At OSINT, we will do what we can to assist you, call 021 110 0422, email contact@osint.co.za or learn more here www.osint.co.za

The Three Major Risks when Borrowing Money Online

On the internet everything is easy, from ordering takeaways to paying your bills. However the stakes become a little higher when you’re looking to apply for a loan.

When it comes to a personal loan, you need to provide private information to someone you might not even know, so you have to be sure to be completely safe online, especially when you’re thinking of loaning a large amount of money.

What are the risks when it comes to borrowing money online?

Here are the three major risks that you could be facing if you do not look out for the red flags when borrowing money online:

LOSING MONEY

This is the most obvious risk. Fake loan providers will easy set up a fake business, promise you the world and then charge you fake fees to approve your loan. In the end you don’t ever get what you paid for.

PAYING TOO MUCH

Even if you do end up getting a legitimate loan, you may end up paying an arm and a leg to a bad loan provider. A loan provider that is reputable will give you a reasonable price for a loan at fixed prices.

IDENTITY THEFT

This will happen to you if you give out your private information to a fake loan provider that is actually looking to steal your identity. You may be asked to go to a fake website and fill in your personal information such as ID number, date of birth, address, etc.

Overall you could be simply wasting your time and effort trying to borrow from a fake loan provider!

Don’t become the next victim of a personal loan scam, here’s how!

I think I’ve been scammed – Now what?

Please contact OSINT immediately on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za otherwise learn more about our open-source intelligence & digital forensics services on www.osint.co.za or www.tcgforensics.co.za

Don’t become the next Victim of a Personal Loan Scam!

When you’re stuck in a situation where you can’t pay medical bills or your car needs repairs that aren’t covered by your insurance, a personal loan might be an easy answer to all your problems.

However, you always need to be wary when it comes to personal loan scams; luckily there are a few red flags to look out for to help you spot the fakes and frauds!

Here are the 8 signs of a personal loan scam…

1. There’s no credit check. All legitimate personal loan lenders will do a credit check before to ensure that you can repay the money. A scammer will not be interested in your credit score because they’re typically after your personal information instead.

2. The personal loan lender isn’t registered. In South Africa, as well as most other places, you have to register to be a loan provider. If you search for a loan provider or business and find they are not registered, you’ve probably found a fraudulent website!

3. The loan offer isn’t complete. All loan lenders need to complete all the terms of a loan, this includes the final costs and the interest. If the offer you are signing for has the bare minimal information, spelling mistakes, grammar errors and just looks a little suspicious, it’s probably a scam.

4. There’s no physical address. If you cannot find any contact information or you can’t find their physical address then be aware that this personal loan is probably a scam. All scammers will make it as hard as possible for anyone to get in touch with them later to avoid legal action!

5. You must act now before the offer expires. The offer is urgent and you need to sign for the loan before it expires – this is most definitely a scam! All legitimate loan providers will have a steady rate, while scammers will fool you into acting quickly without reading the fine print.

6. You need to pay upfront. Any loans that demand you to pay certain fees for “processing” or “insurance” are scams. Any loan provider that asks you for payment before to process your application is just a scammer looking to take advantage of situations when people desperately need money.

7. Guaranteed approval. It is impossible that you will always be guaranteed approval of a loan, there is no such thing as a guaranteed personal loan. A legitimate loan provider will first have to check your credit as well as your information before the loan is guaranteed.

8. Payment in the form of cash or a gift card. A loan scammer will try to get you to pay them in a way that is untraceable, such as with cash or in the form of a gift card. No legitimate loan provider will request you to pay like this and if they pressure you to do so it is probably a scam!

I think I’ve been scammed – Now what?

Please contact OSINT immediately on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za otherwise learn more about our open-source intelligence & digital forensics services on www.osint.co.za or www.tcgforensics.co.za

Are you Dating an Online Scammer?

Dating scams cost unsuspecting people money as well as heartache each and every year, but still people continue to fall for the tricks and so online dating scams continue to rise.

These cybercriminals will play a long game to cheat you out of your money, rather than using a simple phishing email or scam. If you are using an online dating app or chatting on social media, please be aware that these cybercriminals do exist and you could even dating one!

Be sure to look out for these signs to tell if the person you’re dating online is actually a scammer!

1. Suspicious Profile

A typical scammers dating profile will have only a few images that have been posted recently. Most often these images are model or glamour stock photos. They’re looking for singles in your area, but they work or live in another country. Be wary if the profile has limited information and only one or two photos.

2. Moving the Conversation

Online dating scammers will try their best to move the conversation to another form of messaging such as Skype, Facebook, WhatsAppor SMS. If they try and take the conversation elsewhere – be on alert!

3. Professing their Love

You’ve just started chatting and they profess their love for you and gush about the deep emotional connection you have. This is all a way to emotional manipulate you, especially if you are feeling isolated and vulnerable at the time. Always lookout for those who are overly flattering in the early stages of the communication.

4. Something always comes up

A common line used by scammers is planning to meet up with you but then an unexpected issue always comes up just before it happens. Because they can’t meet up with you, this might even be one of the first reasons they ask you for money, perhaps they’ll lie and say they don’t have money for a plane ticket or to travel.

5. Avoiding Video Chat

Did you know that the majority of online dating scams go back to those living in Nigeria? So they may avoid phone calls or voice chats because their accents and appearance will give them away. No matter where they are from, someone scamming you will be using fake photos so they will always make excuses not to video chat. Do not be fooled by someone who says they love you and then blames shyness for not wanted to communicate over video.

6. Requesting Money

The ultimate goal that an online dating scammer has is to rob you of your money, so there are a range of scenarios they will make up. Some of the most popular include: a sick family member or emergency, health issues and travel problems. You are definitely the target of a scam if you ever get any kind of financial request!

7. Assisting with Financial Transactions

A newer kind of online dating scam is turning the victim into a money mule or money laundering accomplice! Be on full alert if you are ever asked to do any kind of financial transaction or exchange, they would possibly be luring you into doing something illegal.

If you choose to date online, please be sure to take the right measures to protect yourself and overall just use your common sense.

If you think you’ve been a victim of an online dating scam or perhaps you think you might be dating a scammer right now – contact the OSINT department in South Africa on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za | alternatively visit the website to find out more www.osint.co.za

Top 8 things you should be doing in regards to Internet Security!

We do everything online these days! Our cell phones, laptops and PCs are basically an extension of ourselves, that is why being extra careful when it comes to internet security is so important.

It is so surprising that people still do not bother with their internet security – you are not invisible, as soon as you go online you become a possible victim of so many things including scams, fraud, identity theft and so much more.

One of the safest methods to follow is to purchase a high quality internet security software that will have regular updates, remove viruses, scan on a regular basis and notify you of malicious activities.

- Keep your passwords security and don’t share with anyone

- Install and update security software on your PC and cell phone

- Be wary of phone calls asking for personal information or access to your PC

- Do not post financial or personal information on social media networks

- Be extra careful when buying online and also use a safe payment method

- Protect your cell phone from malware and viruses just as you would your PC

- Double check bank accounts and statements for anything suspicious

- Talk with your family and friends and encourage them to report anything unusual!

Always remember it is not a matter of IF you will become a victim, it is a matter of WHEN! Take into consideration the things you should be doing to make sure you are secure online.

Are you scared you’ve become the next victim? Please contact TCG Digital Forensics as soon as possible and we will do what we can to assist you! Call us on 021 110 0422 or email contact@tcgforensics.co.za | Learn more here www.tcgforensics.co.za or www.osint.co.za

Why does Social Media Intelligence matter?

Do you know what social media intelligence is? Well to put it simply, it is the collection, curation and overall analysis of data found online in order to provide a look into the actions and habits of a certain individual or group.

In a time where most of the people in the world are on social media networks, social media intelligence can be used to learn a lot by just studying what they do online.

Here are some interesting social media facts and stats:

 - The top eight social media networks are Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, Twitter, WhatsApp and YouTube.

- Did you know that more than half of the public use social media at least once a day?

- YouTube is the most popular social media sharing website.

- Facebook is the most popular social media sharing website – used by almost 70% of adults!

- Social media use is higher for those who are younger – almost 90% of users are 18-29 years old.

So why does social media intelligence and evidence found on social media matter?

Every single day a huge amount of information and data is created on social media networks, and social media intelligence is there to study and understand the behaviour of those who are online.

Social media intelligence is a way for professional digital forensics experts to gather, interpret and understand data that is found online, this is especially important in social media investigations.

It is important to note that social media evidence can be deleted, changed and locked down by certain privacy settings. That is why it takes a professional to preserve the online evidence so it is admissible in an official court of law.

For more information about social media intelligence as well as open source intelligence and more in the digital forensics world, please visit www.osint.co.za | www.tcgforensics.co.za or contact the TCG Digital Forensics Division on 021 110 0422 or email contact@tcgforensics.co.za | contact@osint.co.za

Always think before you hit Send!

Did you know that your SMSs, WhatsApp or social network inbox messages can be used as evidence against you in a court of law? Well, for those who are possibly heading towards a divorce or breakup need to be extra careful about sending messages!

Because of all the advancements in the area of digital forensics, including social media investigations and cellular forensics, there has been a massive spike in cases that use evidence found on digital devices such as smartphones and computers.

Many people send messages without even thinking twice, this is known as “spontaneous venting”, however it can come back to hurt you, so always rethink what you’re saying before you hit send…

When it comes to evidence in a divorce, usually a nasty one, things such as SMSs, WhatsApp messages and other direct messages are most commonly used as well as emails, phone numbers, GPS locations and search history.

Most divorce lawyers will tell their clients to stay off social media platforms and avoid sending nasty messages and posting unnecessary statuses, the sad thing is that most of these clients choose not to follow this vital advice.

Anything that is in writing, you have to assume that someday a judge is going to see it. So, if it is not something that you don’t want a judge to see – don’t hit the send button!

You can always erase your messages, but that doesn’t mean they’re gone forever…

With the latest tools and forensic software, the digital forensics investigators at the TCG Forensics Division as well as OSINT are able to assist investigators and attorneys in Cape Town, Pretoria and nationally. For more information about the digital forensics services on offer please call 021 110 0422 or email contact@tcgforensics.co.za