They Want Your Money

If you have anything of value, the criminals want it.

Your online credentials are valuable. These credentials give the thieves access to your accounts. You may think the frequent flyer miles you have earned are not valuable to cybercriminals. Think again. After approximately 10,000 American Airlines and United accounts were hacked, cybercriminals booked free flights and upgrades using these stolen credentials. Even though the frequent flyer miles were returned to the customers by the airlines, this demonstrates the value of login credentials. A criminal could also take advantage of your relationships. They could access your online accounts and your reputation to trick you into wiring money to your friends or family. The criminal can send messages stating that your family or friends need you to wire them money so they can get home from abroad after losing their wallets.

The criminals are very imaginative when they are trying to trick you into giving them money. They do not just steal your money; they could also steal your identity and ruin your life.