PSD’s cyber unit warns public of hacking amid digital surge

AMMAN — The Public Security Directorate’s Cybercrimes Unit on Friday warned the public of unsafe links and phishing, a method used by hackers to access valuable personal details.

“The Cybercrimes Unit dealt with a number of Instagram cyber attacks and privacy breaches, that were done through phantom messages,” the unit said in a statement, adding that those messages impersonate the Instagram administration and trick users into thinking that their accounts will be banned, providing them with a link that results in theft of profile and user data once clicked.

Rana Ali, a 20 year old Jordanian citizen, who is an Instagram user, told The Jordan Times that Instagram scammers have many ways to hack people’s accounts, adding that she has received direct messages from malicious accounts on Instagram that have tried to trick her into sharing her personal and sensitive information like her password.

Maria Al Malak who is a jewellery designer, told The Jordan Times on Saturday that many scammers prey on new businesses by sending them a direct message or an e-mail in order give an impression of legitimacy.

 “Two months ago, a business account selling yoga leggings asked me if I could be their brand ambassador. I immediately knew that there was something wrong because their account was almost without followers in addition to the fact that my business account is all about jewellery,” Malak said.

As the digital world grows rapidly with more people and businesses using social media platforms, cyber scams without a doubt have ramped up, according to Selena Varouqa, a Jordanian computer scientist. Varouqa added that digital wrongdoing has increased recently as scammers try to take advantage of the pandemic and the activities and instabilities associated with it.