Cybercrime is the new face of organised crime – except in the online world, you can’t see the crooks.
The hackers hide behind their keyboards and phones, wreaking havoc from every corner of the globe.
They’re highly sophisticated and have countries like Australia in their sights.
Billions of dollars are lost every year to hackers and scammers, the numbers doubling from the year before – and that’s just what we know about.
Many more individuals and businesses who fall victim don’t report the crimes, out of embarrassment for falling for it in the first place, or the reputational damage from not having the systems in place to keep the scammers at bay.
Three in five people are either scam victims themselves or know someone who is.
So how do you stop the onslaught of cybercrime and scams?
How can you protect yourself as an individual, and what more can businesses do to better protect our personal data and sensitive private details?
I’ve just launched a new weekly podcast in collaboration with the Commonwealth Bank, called Anatomy of a Scam.
It’s eye-opening, frightening at some points, and holds crucial information for all of us.
In Anatomy of a Scam, we break down some of the more common scams doing the rounds and explore the technology and psychology used by the cyber-crooks.
Understanding how the scammers are targeting us is the first step in stopping them in their tracks.
Authorities admit we can’t arrest our way out of this epidemic.
Education is key.
The victims we’ve spoken to for the podcast bravely reveal how they were conned, and what they’ve lost is heartbreaking.
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Not just the financial damage, but the emotional toll.
We hear from a highly skilled racecourse trainer who was robbed of $100,000 trying to buy a new car after his email was hacked.
I also speak to a respected journalist conned out of close to $40,000 by scammers who somehow piggybacked off legitimate bank phone numbers and text messages.
Knowing what’s real and what’s fake is in many cases next to impossible, as is getting the money lost back.
We also hear from experts in cybersecurity and law enforcement to find out the ways scammers are being stopped.
The sad reality is, we must question everything.
Scam text fools drivers into thinking they have missed paying a toll
Be sceptical about every phone call, text message and email you receive, and question the businesses that hold your personal information.
What exactly are they doing to keep your details safe?
The scammers aren’t going anywhere, but information and education is key.
Hopefully the Anatomy of a Scam podcast can provide some help in fending off the modern face of crime.
Deborah Knight is a presenter on 2GB and 4BC, hosting Afternoons With Deborah Knight from 12-3pm, Monday to Friday.
