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BTC Warns Against Internet Fraud

Local Internet users visiting pornographic sites in particular are reportedly still falling victim to fraud four months after being initially warned by The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) to carefully read disclosures before downloading material. ᅠ

In early April, BTC advised all Internet users who do not have high-speed access like Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL) about the dangers associated with downloading certain information from the Internet using a dial-up modem.

BTC officials said they have discovered that some Internet users who download material that is usually of a promiscuous nature, are becoming victims of fraud. ᅠ

Technical Manager at Micronet Business Technology, Greg Pinder, pointed out that when connecting to such sites, users are billed for international telephone calls.

モIf you go to those sites it attaches a program to your computer,メ Mr. Pinder said. モThis program then initiates a phone call from your computer to their site, so in essence the Internet is used to establish the connection but after the Internet is disconnected, it would use your phone line to dial out into that companyᄡs site.

モItᄡs a program running on your computer that is using your telephone line to dial out, initiating a call from your end to a provider in the states, unbeknown to the user.メ

The DSL is a broadband connection that is high speed whereas the dial-up is a much slower connection that is used with a phone line.

モYou wouldnᄡt see this fraud with a cable or DSL modem, but if you use a dial-up, youᄡre susceptible to this type of thing,メ Mr. Pinder said. ᅠ

Manager of Management Information Services at Metro Labs, Benjamin Fox, added that persons need to become knowledgeable about certain sites before making an agreement or downloading any information.

モDo not be very quick to click ムokayᄡ or ムyesᄡ to certain programs that pop up,メ Mr. Fox said. モWhat will happen is, if you click on it, it makes an agreement.

モOnce a person goes looking for certain images, movies or music, in some cases when he or she clicks on ムokay,ᄡ a dial is installed and places a long distance call to that particular server in the world. ᅠOnce that is done, thatᄡs where they incur that international call.メ

Mr. Pinder suggested that local Internet users avoid visiting promiscuous sites so that they would not fall victim to this kind of fraud.

モStay away from those websites and they are mostly adult websites,メ he said. モThe persons who are really complaining about it are those persons going to adult websites and sites that are giving away free music.メ

In order to avoid Internet fraud, BTC officials are warning all Internet users to carefully read disclosures before downloading material, disconnect their telephone line from the computerᄡs modem if they have dial-up Internet Access and use BTCᄡs Subscriber Activated Call Blocking feature.

Hadassah Hall, The Bahama Journal

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