Internet Banking Scam Fears
Illawarra Mercury
Saturday January 10, 2004
AUSTRALIANS were yesterday warned not to use public computers to do their Internet banking.
The advice comes as cyber criminals resort to sophisticated new means of siphoning money from bank accounts. Police were investigating a theft from a major Australian bank in which a criminal used a virus to access a bank customer's computer.
Such viruses can be downloaded while surfing the Internet or from an email attachment and steal passwords for Internet banking.
Australian Hi-Tech Crime Centre director Alastair MacGibbon said Internet banking remained as safe as other forms of banking as long as customers were cautious.
``Ensure that when you are doing Internet banking that you don't do it from something like an Internet cafe," he said. ``Don't do it from a public library; do it from a home or office where you're sure of the type of software loaded up to protect yourself."
© 2004 Illawarra Mercury