Adelady Tackles Cyber Crime!

At Adelady and hello SA we are SO very lucky to be able to share so many luxe giveaways, giving all you beauties the chance to win getaways, life-changing experiences and excellent South Australian prizes. But… lately you may have noticed that we’ve been hit with a spate of pesky accounts, posing as US!

The nerve! How dare they try and trick our Pineapples!

These imposter accounts pose as either hello SA or Adelady, and contact the entrants of our competitions with a fake winners message — directing them to a third party website where they ask for personal and banking information.

First of all, we would NEVER ask for your credit card details if you win a prize. It just doesn’t make sense! But because we adore you all we’ve decided to take on this issue so that hopefully none of our lovely pineapple tribe falls victim to these awful scammers again!

This week we chatted to Kostas Theodosi, an expert on cyber security, to discuss what information we can put on our social media to best warn and protect our followers. Kostas works for Adelaide-based company, Insync Solutions, which focuses on Cyber Security and Identity and Access Management. He’s well-versed in explaining cyber crime in a way that is understandable and approachable for all age groups, and the perfect man for the job.

So, arm yourselves with knowledge Adeladies… because knowledge is power! And eff off you dirty old scammers.

Kostas’ Tips for Cyber Safety:

1. Think before you act when receiving a message, comment or direct message from an account that looks like Adelady or hello SA – don’t panic, take a breath and don’t rush to respond.
2. Ask for advice and do your research  – a little time researching and reading reviews could save you from a big loss. Who do you know that could help you check the validity of the page that’s contacted you… maybe friends or family members?
3. Have a back up payment method or source of funds — having another card will save you if you need to cancel a card that has been compromised or that is showing suspicious activity.
4. Use unique passwords and do not repeat/reuse old passwords – store your personal codes in a password manager if you can’t remember them, don’t write it down on a sticky note for anyone to find. Many cyber experts recommend that your passwords are 15 characters long, which can be so hard to remember — so maybe consider using a sentence like “I wear pink slippers when I go to a fashion show” (although don’t use this example!)
5. Use Multi-Factor Authentication where available.
6. Perform regular software updates for devices – yes, that means your phone and computer. No more “last backed up 421 days ago” around here!
7. For social media accounts such as Instagram/Facebook, look for the blue tick  –  it means that page is verified and safe.
8. Only go with apps downloaded from the Apple Store/Google Play Store/Microsoft Market Store  –  they’ve been vetted and are safe to use!
9. Always read pop-up warnings that appear on websites – you’re being told my your security software that something doesn’t look right.
10. Look for spelling mistakes and poor English – if the text message or email isn’t making sense or is filled with errors,  it’s likely a scam.
11. Look for spelling mistakes in the email address or differences in the company’s website address. For example, a dodgy email address might be: [email protected]
12. Look at the email address it is coming from. If it is a  @gmail or @hotmail email and they are claiming to represent a company or law firm, then it is likely a scam.
13. Check the follower/subscriber numbers on Instagram and Facebook accounts. If it seems lower than it should, be it’s probably a scam.
14. Back up data to cloud services or just even offline storage – so you can get back up and running quickly, and it helps against ransomware.
15. Don’t forget you’re being profiled – the scammers know what you like. If you’re shown or told something that sounds too good to be true… it probably  is. Cruel, we know.

Remember, if you receive a message or reply to your comment from hello SA or Adelady, check the profile — look for the blue tick which shows our verified account, and if the message or comment tells you to click to another website that is NOT Adelady, or asks you to enter your personal information/card details — it’s not us.

And if you ARE lucky enough to win a prize, you’ll be directed to email one of the Adelady team members directly. You can always check if you’re a winner HERE.

Stay safe out in cyber world, Pineapples!

Adelady xx