TecHuMan

Recently, a person in Thane, Maharashtra lost over Rupees One lakh in an online fraud involving popular payment gateways like PayTM and Google Pay.  The reports of bank frauds and online payment frauds have been rising in recent times. Even a small lapse on part of the customer can cause a big loss to him/her.

Punjab National Bank Fraud Alert: The public sector lender has warned its customers to beware of fraud calls.  They had also provided some tips to its customers in order to avoid them.  The bank confirmed in a tweet that these days fraudsters are making fake calls to lure customers while representing themselves as bank officials.  The bank has also suggested its customers not to search for its contact information online through Google or any other search engine. Instead, they can directly visit PNB official website. (https://in.finance.yahoo.com/news/pnb-customer-never-google-other-162202579.html)

Avoid searching for your bank’s online banking websites on Google: It is highly advisable not to do a Google search to find your bank’s online banking website unless you know the exact official URL. To stay safe, always enter the official URL of your bank’s online banking portal to access the site. This is because chances of phishing increase drastically in which you might enter your bank’s login ID and password on a website that may just look like the bank’s official website and could be a phishing site instead(https://www.gadgetsnow.com/slideshows/10-things-you-should-not-search-ongoogle/Dont-search-these-10-things-on-Google-to-stay-safe/amp_photolist/71143671.cms).

Things you must know about Online Banking Frauds: Banks, being a vital element in a nation’s economy, deal with monetary transactions and services to the public. The personal and financial information of the bank’s customer are under the threat of being misused by fraudsters. Phishing, Spoofing, Vishing, Skimming, and Money Mules are some of the types of frauds that are prevailing. (https://www.bankexamstoday.com/2016/11/online-banking-frauds-things-you-must.html)

RBI says no loss to customer if fraudulent transaction reported in three days: (Jul 07, 2017) In a bid to step up customer protection in the era of digitalization push by the government, the Reserve Bank of India has came out with a new set of rules limiting the customer liability in case of unauthorized electronic banking transactions.  Customers will not suffer any loss if unauthorized electronic banking transactions are reported within three days and the amount involved will be credited in the accounts concerned within ten days, the RBI said. (https://www.firstpost.com/business/online-banking-frauds-rbi-says-no-loss-to-customer-if-fraudulent-transaction-reported-in-3-days-3783491.html)

CAUTION: Online Transactions

• Never blindly trust the display number if you get a call from a person claiming to be from the bank or bank’s call centre.
• In case you receive any call from the bank or bank’s call centre, always be alert and think twice before acting on any instruction you are provided by the person on the other side.
• Avoid using online transactions for your bank account.
• Do not use mobile apps for your bank account/transactions, as the OTP is sent to the same mobile, which is auto detected and the transaction proceeds.  If the lost mobile is in the hands of a someone else, that person could commence and complete a online banking transaction through the mobile app.

CAUTION: ATM

• Clarify with your bank for every debit—even if it is very little, like, 50 paisa or One Rupee.
• Always use the same bank’s ATM.
• Never forget to change your ATM PIN periodically.
• Ensure ONE person inside the ATM while operating.  You may request the others to move out even if it is the ATM Security personal, till you complete your work.

CAUTION: Others

• Do not disclose your account details, OTP, Password, Card Number or PIN to anyone.  If it is given to anyone, who is very close to you – please change the PIN & Password immediately
• Do not fall prey for any offers or easy loan, even from your own bank, as the communication may include your name, phone number and account number.
• Do not proceed with further step, when you get an email saying that you had WON a big prize money, especially by asking your bank account information for the money to be credited in your bank account.

Good Practices

• Online payment for ticket or purchase: do not save the card information or account information and log-out fully.
• Receipt of Bank account statement or Fixed Deposit information through email, WhatsApp, sms, or so: please download and delete it from the source, that is, do not leave it there.

Rocky

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My friend’s uncle, an accountant in a major seminary, was very worried about handling the Local Sponsorships—a scheme that was initiated to avoid seeking financial help from abroad.  I joined my friend in trying to help his uncle to handle it easily.  After about three weeks of discussions and clarifications, he was happy to find a solution—to use Cloud Computing technology and maintain the data of the sponsors, which can be accessed through the Internet (or later by Mobile App) to get notifications and reminders regularly.  This solution helps the organization to have all the records, such as, demographic details, sponsorship scheme (tenure and amount), mode of payment, including online transfer, etc. It also helps the users (the sponsors) to track their sponsorship, receive automatic reminders, regular notifications, do online payment, track their beneficiary, and so on.

In other words, Cloud Computing helps the organization directly in a big way to maintain the information, which can be accessed through the I  nternet, by them and the end-users (customer, stakeholder, or users of the services).  Users are only at the receiving end of the services rendered by the company which uses Cloud Computing technology.

Cloud Computing is NOT merely a storing and retrieving option. If that is all we need, we can:

• Use storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, Sync, OneDrive, pCloud, Canto DAM, SkyDrive, SugarSync, etc. All these are operated with Cloud Computing technology.
• Store the files in the space available in our own website.
• Send the file to an email, where the sender and the receiver will have a copy of it.

What is Cloud Computing?

Ninety-five percent of people who are already using Cloud Computing, like online banking and social networks, do not know that they are using Cloud Computing.

Cloud Computing is the use of hardware and software to deliver a service over a network (typically the Internet). Well-known providers of Cloud Computing are Internet giants like Amazon, Facebook, Google’s Gmail, and so on.  With Cloud Computing, users can access files and use applications hosted by providers from any device that can be accessed through Internet.

Traditional computing stores data on your PC’s local hard drive, whereas the data in the cloud is stored on many physical and/or virtual servers hosted by a third-party service provider.

Types

A PUBLIC CLOUD is based on the standard Cloud Computing framework which consists of files, applications, storage and services available to the public via the internet. Gmail is an example of a Public Cloud.

A PRIVATE CLOUD is comprised of files, applications, storage and services that are implemented and protected within a corporate firewall, under the control of a corporate IT department, only for their own use.  A Private Cloud is only for a particular group like a company, family circle, friends’ group, etc., and not for the use of all the public.

Pros and Cons

Some of the merits of Cloud Computing technology are cost-saving, high speed, back-up and restoring of data, automatic software integration, reliability, mobility, unlimited storage capacity, location and device independence, web-based control and interface, low-cost software, and so on.

In spite of the fast-growing technological development, every technology has its own demerits.  Cloud Computing too has some demerits, such as, lack of internet connectivity, variation in performance, security threat, and lack of connection.

Tips

For Educational Institutions: Some of the educational institutions are already on to Cloud Computing technology, where the management, staff and parents, as well as the students, are using various methodologies by way of getting status updates and monitoring information through SMS, Email, WhatsApp, Mobile Apps and Internet. It covers areas like admission, fees, time-table, attendance, exams, marks, library, announcements, payroll, accounts, communication, and other information.

For Major Superiors of Religious Congregation: As almost all the management or administrative departments of the corporate world use Cloud Computing technology, Religious Congregation too can use it for handling their resources.  It is also good to move on to modern technologies for digital archives, documentation, communication, websites, etc.  All these can be done on a Private Cloud and not necessarily on a Public Cloud.  It is also possible to make only some of it available to the public, while reserving other areas to members only.

Rocky

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Weird Email Reply

I sent an email to the recipients of a particular email group.  In a short while, I was surprised to get this short reply: “I received your email and thank you for the same.  I shall reply to it as soon as possible.”  The surprise is that the sender of the email is a priest who died a year ago.  When I got over my shock, I realized that the email I received is an Auto-Reply he had set in his email account.

General Information on Email & its HOW TO

OFFICIAL EMAIL ID and personal email ID should be differentiated. Personal email ID should be used only for personal communication; and all the official communication should be through an official email ID, like Principal, Provincial, and so on.  In the official email ID, one should not use the personal name in the ID or in the NAME while creating and or changing the email setting.  Let us take, e.g.: Fr. Paul <provincial_mm@gmail.com>. Here Fr. Paul is the name of the provincial at the time of creating the email ID. So, it is better if the official email ID is ‘Fr. Provincial MM.’  The official email ID should be used by the successors in the office; and, each successor should also change the password.

REPLY-TO for an email is set, only in case we need the reply to be sent to a different email ID other than the one we are using.  Without knowing this, some of us have set the same email ID for reply-to as well.  Unknowingly, many of us set a wrong “reply-to” email ID…

Rocky

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Telangana state police have recently arrested an engineer working at an IT firm in Chennai and taken him to Hyderabad for further investigation. His fake job portal had attracted many young women by offering various job opportunities according to their qualification with an alluring pay package; and those who contacted him were asked to send through WhatsApp, their personal information, photos and videos.  He downloaded this information and then used it to blackmail them. He collected lots of money from these young women by threatening to use the information that he had gathered. (Courtesy:

https://www.maalaimalar.com/health/womensafety/2019/09/04081730/1259538/How-to-Avoid-Cyber-crime.vpf)

The discovery of the cell phone, one of the most prominently used internet-connected communications devices in the world, has reached a peak.  Every application (App) is created for the use and help of human beings.  The same app can be used to steal your information too.

Today’s digital hi-tech world has no place for PRIVACY.  A simple example is TrueCaller installed in many of our mobile phones.  It helps us to identify the person who is calling. But, in return, your number can be known with details (name, number with mobile service, email, place & location) by around thirty lakh people, most of them whom you do not know.  It’s the same with many of the commonly used Apps or websites like, WhatsApp, Hangouts, Google, Gmaps, Gmail, YouTube, FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Quora, Blogger, ShareChat, Hotstar, Play Store, Google Drive, Yahoo, Yahoo Mail, Ola/Uber, Swiggy/Zomato/Uber Eats/Foodpanda, Amazon, Flipkart, OLX, Snapdeal, Pinterest, Naukri, Indeed, many more Apps in your mobile (surprised to see more than 132 commonly used apps); as well as contacts, calendar, photos, or so linked with our email account.

It is always better to take some measures of CAUTION:

• While installing any App – it asks for confirmation with so many options – ALLOW / AGREE !!! : we are allowing someone else to enter or know every information about us.
• Switch on your Location only when you need & please put it off when you don’t.
• Do not be led to any website link which is pinged through your Message or WhatsApp or Email, with an attractive offer of some refund amount, or free gift, or “You have earned” message.
• Information and photos posted in Facebook are accessed and used by anyone in the world. They may also misuse the same information for their benefit.
• Mobile Tapping / Hacking: Even after switching off, the phone will be hot or warm because a tapping / hacking software is running in your mobile.

To check whether a mobile is tapped / hacked: Call another mobile number – when that number or mobile is close to you. The call will get cut only after three secondsafter you actually cut the call.Change the Sim Card or even the number, as well as the mobile instrument. DO NOT update anything from the google email ID of yours, because it may sync everything including the tapping / hacking.

• Everything can be taken through the camera in your mobile: Use a sticker or a paper in between the mobile and the mobile cover to block the camera. Remove to use the camera.  Remember to block the camera lens once again.
• Do not open any EMPTY message from an unknown number. All the information from your mobile (contacts, photos, videos, files, etc) can be used by hackers.

Don’t search these things on Google to stay safe: (by Gadgets Now Bureau)

Majority of internet users have the habit of opening on a Google Search window to get any information that they want. From basic food recipes to online banking and money transfer or even buying medicines, everything is just a Google search away. It is important to understand that Google doesn’t create this content. It is simply an online platform where you find websites that offer you the information that you need. So, everything that you see or learn by searching on Google doesn’t necessarily have to be correct and accurate.

 (Courtesy: https://m.gadgetsnow.com/slideshows/10-things-you-should-not-search-on-google/Dont-search-these-10-things-on-Google-to-stay-safe/amp_photolist/71143671.cms)

Design and Concept: Rocky

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Annoying Notifications

A few years back, my cousin initiated a WhatsApp Group for all the family members who use WhatsApp.  It helped us to be up-to-date on all the happenings in the family circle, instantly.  One fine day, during a busy schedule of work in the office; I was annoyed with the WhatsApp message notification sound – for about 100 times, of which only one message was an information or reminder to me.  It all started when one of our brothers celebrated his birthday.  In the morning my sister had posted a birthday wish to him in the WhatsApp Group.  He thanked her in the group.  Now you can just imagine that almost all in the group wished him individually and he thanked each of us individually – all in the same WhatsApp Group.

How to use WhatsApp effectively, especially WhatsApp Group:

Group Message Settings (Preferable)

• Be part of the Group(s), you wish to; or else EXIT the group. Even if someone is adding you again and again, please exit repeatedly until you are not added in the group.
• Keep the Group contact (or even the individual contact) in MUTE, so that the notification will not disturb; and may check the messages when you have time.

GROUP ETHICS

DO’s

• Send messages for all in the Group; and not for an individual or to only some in the Group.
• To wish, thank or acknowledge anyone, please use their personal WhatsApp contact.
• The FIRST wish on a birthday or anniversary or any special occasion is permitted in the group, as it is also an information or reminder to the others.
• Keep to the purpose of the group. Send only relevant messages.
• Keep in mind that your words can be interpreted in multiple ways, so use short sentences that can’t be misinterpreted.
• Circulate only authentic and true messages. Ask yourself these four questions before posting: (1) Is it true? (2) Is it relevant?  (3) Is it necessary?  (4) Is this a good time to post?
• If someone asks a question and you don’t know the answer, solution, or suggestion; just wait for someone who knows the answer to reply; and don’t respond with “I don’t know.”
• Check the date of the news that you want to forward in the Group; and ensure it is not very old.
• It is better to be a silent spectator in the Group, than being a nuisance by responding to every message of the Group, in the Group.
• Politely excuse yourself before you leave a group.
• If you are the Group Administrator: offenders in the group should be warned personally; and repeated offenders can be removed permanently.

DON’Ts

• Do not share irrelevant messages about other topics in a particular group.
• Do not send one-on-one (personal) conversation in WhatsApp Group. Switch to private message by tapping the name / number above the message of the person with whom you want to reply.
• Good Morning / Good Night messages are irrelevant.
• Do not post negative messages on religion, community, region, political party because it may indirectly hurt others.
• Do not shame fellow member in the group.
• Do not forward advertisement messages or offer messages in the group, as most of them are fake and will collect all the contacts in the group.
• Avoid sending prayer-chain or surprise over recitation of prayer(s) in the group, as the purpose of the same is like the previous point.
• Don’t be offended if others leave the group. Not everyone wants the same information.

 Now our family-WhatsApp Group has 105 participants; and all of us follow the group ethics, thus making our group more informative and bonding our relationship.

Design and Concept: Rocky & Rakesh

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Merciful Thief

Late one evening, I received a call in my mobile from a friend of mine.  I was shocked to know that he had met with an accident and was taken to a nearby hospital.  I rushed to the hospital. I found that my friend had a number of minor injuries and that his clothes were torn. As soon as he could move, I took him to a ready-made store and got him new clothes.  We realized, too, that his mobile phone was missing.  I asked him about the call I received; and then we tried calling his number, which was switched off.  We understood that the mobile phone was stolen; and we were also surprised to know that the thief had done a noble task of informing me by calling the Emergency Contact saved in my friend’s mobile.

ICE – Emergency Contacts

Most of us—including those using a mobile for years—do not seem to be aware of the Emergency Contacts, or ICE-Emergency Contacts (In Case of Emergency – Emergency Contacts).  This Emergency Contact is for use by someone other than the owner, when the owner meets with some emergency.  First of all, we should check whether we have provided the Emergency Contact in our mobile; secondly, we should know how to use this Emergency Contact during any emergency situation we may come across.

Storing Emergency Contacts:

How do we store these Emergency contacts? That depends on the type of phone we are using. There are basically these three types of mobiles available today. I shall explain how to store the Emergency Contact numbers in each of these models.

How to use ICE – Emergency Contacts:

When we come across someone in an emergency situation, where the person is unable to use the mobile or tell us whom to contact, we can help the person by contacting someone whose number is stored in the mobile phone:

Rocky