Only education can counteract the phenomenon of online scams, and the topic of information and banking security must be explained on an ongoing basis. This opinion belongs to expert Igor Boțan and was expressed during the public debate “Why is society vulnerable to financial scams?”, organized by the IPN News Agency. According to the expert, the methods used by scammers evolve alongside technological advancements, which is why protective measures must be constantly adapted.
According to Igor Botan, the rapid evolution of technology provides criminal groups with increasingly efficient tools to reach a large number of potential victims. “Scams have existed since the world and earth began. But now, we have a technological boom that scammers are using. Scammers use social networks to exploit people’s feelings. Modern technologies provide scammers with instant access to hundreds of thousands of accounts. They operate under the cover of anonymity, and hundreds, even thousands of people fall into the traps of these scammers”, explained the project’s permanent expert.
According to him, the response to the scale of the phenomenon must come both from state institutions and through strengthening the education of the population in the field of informational and financial security.
“Modern technologies are exponentially increasing the phenomenon of scams. The problem can be solved through regulatory institutions and law enforcement agencies that must counteract the activity of criminal groups that exploit people’s vulnerabilities and draw them into these schemes”, stated Igor Botan.
The expert says that the population is better informed today than in the past, including through warnings issued by financial institutions, but this does not mean that the phenomenon can be considered overcome.
“Those who have banking apps on their phone, when they open their phone, they see the alerts and recommendations. People are notified that scammer groups are active. Now a relaxation period will follow, after which the scammers will invent other methods. We have entered the era of technologies, therefore only education can counteract this phenomenon of online scams. The phenomenon of information and banking security must be constantly explained”, said Igor Botan.
The public debate “Why is society vulnerable to financial scams?” is the 352nd edition of the debate cycle “Developing political culture in public debates”. The IPN Agency carries out this cycle with the support of the German Hanns Seidel Foundation.
