Project Management and Project Risk: What You Need to Know

Introduction

In today’s digital age scammers abound, and unfortunately, they use many different techniques to try and illegally gain information and ultimately money from potential victims.

One such method that scammers use is called phishing. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, phishing are “attempts to illegally acquire sensitive information in order to profit from them.”

The people behind this deceptive activity are often “professional” hackers who will do just about anything to gather information in order to target your account.

Good Project Management courses can give Project Managers the skills they need to identify risks and issues with a hackers approach.

The Importance of Project Risk Education

Project risk is something a Project Manager must be trained in to minimize potential loss. If you’re in charge of a big budget client, for example, a successful phishing attempt from a scammer can be detrimental.

By being in the know when it comes to project risk in it’s many facets, you can avoid many problems, including attempts to steal your information and ultimately impact you or your client’s bottom line.

For example, your chances of becoming a victim increase when you or someone on your team visit some unsecured sites that are target by these hackers. Simply knowing what to look out for will potentially prevent disaster.

The solution to the above scenario is to simply never try to login to any of these sites, no matter how compelling the testimonials may look. If you know what to look for and can train your team, this goes a long way.

Phishing is nothing new of course and it’s observateroundly going on. For example, in September 2005, InfoSift, a trade newsletter, traced back a scam that had been running for more than 20 years. It had involved consumers receiving mistaken game disks, and others receiving pop-up alerts about national holidays that they had bought travel packages for. But, the truly alarming part of all this was that the guests asked for a refund despite having already purchased their travel packages.

Now if you ask how someone turns down free money, well, it’s usually pretty ugly. In this case, somebody isn’t letting anyone have free money, they’re paying them. But why issue a refund if you have already bought the ticket? Why, because you haven’t.

HowTravelKickbacks.com and other similar sites work is that you have to first use their link, then you put in your credit card number, and other identifying information. Then, hey presto, you get paid!

But here’s the twist…we’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, and then tell you if your information is bad. We’ll ask you to sign in. Once you have, you will be sent an error notice that the site may have incorrectly typed your information when they need you to show you the right pages. They will correct this error, and then ask you to pay for the upgrade. If you’re like most online shoppers, you may see this site a lot. It can also happen after you have paid for your item, as you still have to ship it. They again correct the problem and ask you to pay again. Over and over again.

If you think for a moment that perhaps this is some sort of a scam, remember that 99% of people who put money into an internet auction actually end up losing it. It’s all too true to know that eBay, with all its advantages, is simply not for you if you keep putting in money into projects that won’t be delivered.

It pay to know the difference between scams and legit online auctions. If the seller is asking you to pay for shipping and handling, they must be trying to recover some of your money. If they’re selling items that have been restored or are still in the condition expected, they’re probably okay. We’ll give them the benefit of the doubt, as long as they are reasonably priced.

Sellers shouldn’t be trying to force this extra work on you. If they do, and you decide to go through with the transaction, then they are selling junk. Remember that eBay is a store that is all about providing service and value for money. Therefore, if it appears that they are trying to do stuff that is best for you and your family, then they are probably doing their job. You don’t have to pay them extra if you don’t want to.

E verified sellers should and will tell you right up front that they will never try to take your money or damage your property in any way. If they do, then you can always report them to the BBB.

E verified sellers may not be the most trustworthy people in town, but that doesn’t mean you can’t meet them. In fact, just be as wary as you can about anyone you meet online.

The Importance of Minimizing Project Risk Online

There are lots of things to do and not do when visiting or doing business online. Remember that at the end of the day, it is all about keeping yourself safe and protected. You want to keep your computer free of spyware and malware. You want to keep your hard earned money safe. And most of all, you want to avoid internet scams.

Here’s just a few things you should be doing to keep yourself safe while online:

• • Research every single seller and buyer before buying online.
  • Read all the reviews from satisfied customers.
  • Make sure the site is secure; privacy and credit card transactions are important.
  • Configure your browser and look for “Add or Remove Programs.” Some browsers will honor the privacy policy of the seller by displaying a small picture of the product.
  • Refund in the case of a scam.

Conclusion

Project managers are responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the completion of specific projects while ensuring these projects are on time, within budget, and within the scope of the project at hand.

Project managers are also a core foundation for the success of pretty much any business, and due to the amount of security risks in today’s online landscape, they need to thoroughly understand project risk.

At the end of the day, it’s all about knowledge. So if you’re an employer, additional project management education for your staff goes a long way, especially when the course offers core insights on project risk.