Stay Safe Online with These 10 Tips to Fight Online Scams
Feeling overwhelmed by online scams? Fortunately, taking a few precautions can significantly reduce online risks so you’ll stay safe online. Check out these 10 tips.
So knowledge is power. You can significantly reduce your risk with a few simple precautions. These 10 tips will help you stay safe online.
Tips to Stay Safe Online
- Beware of email links. Hackers often send emails spoofing brands you trust. But when you click the link they may either download malware onto your computer. Or they may take you to a spoof website to trick you into signing in. This is one of the main ways hackers steal passwords for malicious intent. Analysts estimate as many as one in 100 emails may be scam emails. Fortunately, a lot of these likely go to your spam folder.
- Beware of too good to be true. Another common scam is to send you an offer for 50% off an iPhone X or some other thing you wouldn’t want to pass up. Don’t click the link. 9 times of 10, it’s a scam.
- Visit the site directly. If you do see an offer and think it might be real, visit the site through Google instead.
- Don’t click on popups. Popup ads are another window into your computer. They may allow the site to track your browsing history or other activity.
- Never use your Debit card online. Criminals now use a technique called eSkimming. It allows them to charge your card when you’re using it online for legitimate purchases. They put malicious code on even reputable websites. The company is completely unaware. If you use a credit card, your CC company will likely reimburse you if this happens. But if they drain your bank account, that money’s gone.
- Only use a secure network to shop. If you use wi fi that doesn’t require a password, you open yourself up to data interception. As a rule, I always avoid free wi-fi for this reason but definitely avoid buying or performing other sensitive tasks on this network.
- Use a VPN. VPN turns any network into a private one.
- Use your data plan. It costs more but is safer.
- Be suspicious of anything that says FREE.
- Diversify. Use different passwords for different sites. Never reuse a variation of a password on a high-security site like your Investments website for a low-security site. For your business, it’s vital that your managed IT put systems in place to encourage safe password employee practices as well.
Stay Safe Out There
Criminals are out there. And many of these scammers are clever tricksters. So always be a little suspicious and know when something doesn’t look right.
A little knowledge goes a long way when it comes to staying safe online. For more tips follow my blog
