Why is the letter ‘S’ the most important letter in the alphabet?
We tend not to realise how important something is until it is no longer there! For example, what URL type would you pick from the choices below:
HTTP or HTTPS?
How important is the letter S? A Habana resident recently was performing an online check of their bank accounts when they noticed something unusual – multiple transactions against their bank account which were not authorised. The transactions were linked to hundreds of dollars worth of expenditure against an iTunes account. But that wasn’t all…
iTunes were contacted by the resident and it was learned that a separate iTunes account was also recently activated by a criminal against the victim’s bank card.
We are so used to reading and hearing about stolen or lost bank cards coming back to hurt us through fraudulent transactions – in this case though, the bank card in question was still in the victim’s possession. It had not been stolen or lost.
How is it possible that the criminal obtained the relevant information then? If you shop online and interact with a business that has HTTPS in their URL address, the letter S means secure. Any online communication between you and the business is encrypted (protected).
Have one guess what it means when the URL address of the business you are exchanging bank account information with only has HTTP? Got to love the letter S 
My name would be unusual without it there.
Here are some tips for shopping safely online:
- Check your bank accounts consistently for unusual activity. Crooks frequently test the waters of an account by withdrawing small amounts such as $2 – 5$ to see if it is active to begin with.
- Be cautious of phishing styled emails or telephone scammers which demand you supply personal or sensitive information. Remember, if it’s unsolicited and sensitive information is demanded – warning flags should be raised.
- Contact your bank immediately and if you suspect online criminal activity has lead to the activity, report the matter through ACORN (Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network).
- If it has occurred through the theft or loss of your bank card, contact your local police to report the matter.
If you have information for police, contact Policelink on 131 444 or provide information using the online form 24hrs per day.
You can report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers, a registered charity and community volunteer organisation, by calling 1800 333 000 or via crimestoppersqld.com.au 24hrs per day.
Source: Mackay Crime Alert
