Doing your shopping online has become increasingly popular; you can book full vacations over the internet, watch movies, listen to music, read books, and access a pretty much non-stop stream of information. The possibilities of what you can do online are endless!
This isn’t always good, as data shows that the effects on the mental health of individuals might not be ideal – not least because it opens you up to the possibility of being scammed, so you need to protect your data when you’re in the online world.
When you’re relaxed and browsing online for fun, it can be easy to disregard safety precautions and do things that put you in jeopardy online. While the methods and tools hackers use have evolved and become increasingly sophisticated over the years, there are many ways you can safeguard your identity and personal information on the internet.
With phishing and scams on the rise, here are a few of the things you need to remember:
Passwords
Having strong passwords is a must, but you need to ensure that they’re complex and entirely unique for every account you create. The minimum is often twelve characters, including uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as numbers and random symbols. Make the passwords as random as possible so that the odds of them being cracked remain as low as possible.
Since most people have several accounts they use on a daily basis nowadays, keeping track of all the different codes can be a real challenge. This is where using a password manager comes in handy, as it will store your passwords and guarantee nobody else can reach them.
Remember that none of your passwords should be shared with anyone else. No legitimate authority will ask you to share your password with them, so if you receive an email from your bank demanding that you do, you can be sure that it is fake and the work of someone trying to gain access to your bank account. If you have online friends, you should be careful about this kind of thing as well. Sometimes scammers can work to build a relationship with you just to get you to divulge this vulnerable data.
Is the request legitimate?
What if you’ve received an email from a business or service you actually use? It can be difficult to determine whether messages from financial institutions or subscription sites are genuine. Phishing emails will carry a sense of urgency, leading you to believe that your account will be suspended unless you take immediate action. Many scammers have become increasingly adept at mimicking genuine emails, and spotting the difference is increasingly difficult.
If you’re not sure whether an email is legitimate or not, refrain from acting or replying. Instead, contact your bank or the customer service of the respective app. Ask them about the email you received, and they should be able to dispel any uncertainty you might have. Remember to always report phishing emails, as it helps protect you from future threats and can also protect other users.
Recognising a scam
There are many ways in which scammers can steal information, including via text message, email, and even phone calls. The damage can still be significant if the attackers are successful; victims can lose huge amounts of money, with some having their whole life savings melt away. Since these losses may or may not be recovered, the uncertainty and the impact on your overall quality of life are considerable.
Scam attempts, many of which are boosted by and made more realistic with the use of AI nowadays, will try to get you to click on a link to fill in your information by saying that there have been suspicious login attempts on your accounts, that there’s a problem with the billing information you provided, that financial or personal details must be confirmed to validate your account, that you need to complete a payment for some additional benefits, or that you are eligible for a refund or payment.
Don’t click on that link! Even if the phishing attempt is very obvious, you should still get in touch with the company the scammers are pretending to represent. Letting them know about the incident means that they will inform their customers about the situation so that they’re aware that someone is posing as them. Your report could greatly reduce the likelihood of another person becoming the victim of such a scheme.
Preventing attacks
Despite how common hacker attacks and scams can be, there are ways to protect yourself against their effects as well. Being aware of the tell-tale signs of phishing attacks can prevent you from reacting rashly. Urgent or threatening language, requests for your private details, and suspicious links and attachments are typically the common denominators when it comes to these attacks.
Delete any suspicious emails or texts that you might receive, don’t click on links or files from sources you’re not absolutely certain about, and install a robust anti-phishing software. Using multi-factor authentication and backing up all your data regularly will add an extra layer of protection.
While phishing and scamming are very common online, it doesn’t mean you’ll automatically become their victim. Being vigilant and trying your best not to panic will actually solve many of these issues by preventing them from happening in the first place. Let me know in the comments below what you do to stay safe online, I’d love to hear your tips.
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This article is a sponsored collaboration. The pink links in the content indicate a sponsored link or information source. The blog post reflects my own experience and the sponsor hasn’t had any control over my content 🙂
