Britons more on their guard against cons today

Britons are the least likely computer users to fall for internet scams and hoaxes on April Fool’s Day according to F-Secure.

Sean Sullivan, security advisor for the security software company said it wasn’t because there were fewer attacks today but users were more likely to be on their guard because they expected April Fool’s Day cons.

However the same can’t be said for other holidays Sullivan said. He disclosed people were at their most vulnerable on Valentine’s Day.

He said they were three times more likely to fall victim to cybercriminals or hackers on 14 February because their “love seems to short-circuit the human brain” so our romantic streak makes us more open to scams.

This makes them more likely to log on to bogus websites and e-cards from mystery admirers. These are often fronts for phishing attacks where criminals steal identities and bank details or infect computer systems with malware viruses.

“I want people to act online every day of the year like they do on 1 April. Paradoxically, April Fool’s Day is the one day of the year when our labs detect the fewest numbers of people falling prey to online scams.

“This is not necessarily because there are fewer attacks but mainly because people expect to be tricked so are far more on their guard.

"Ideally, we would urge people to adopt this level of awareness and vigilance all the time and act as responsibly online as they do on April’s Fool every day of the year,” he said.