Online scams do
not choose their victims, which is why it is up to us to protect ourselves
against malicious schemes. It is inevitable to encounter online scammers,
especially now that everything is becoming digital. And because they are
unavoidable, what you can do is arm yourself with protection, so they don’t
cause you any damage.
Protection
Against Online Scams:
- Keep Yourself Informed
Learn about the
various types of online scams that you may encounter. Check out how online
scams can affect your online activities. This way you can set up preventive
measures or take necessary actions that will save you from becoming a victim.
This may include setting up filter options in your email or changing your login
details on a regular basis.
- Always Double Check When Transacting Online
Before you
respond to any email, especially those from your financial institutions, it is
highly recommended to call the establishment first. This way they can validate
the authenticity of the email that you received. This helps to keep you from
disclosing confidential information to a bogus email sender.
- Check Legitimacy of Your Shopping Site
Before you
decide to do some online shopping make sure that you checked the reviews and
security features of the online shopping site you want to visit. Check the URL
in your address bar to ensure that everything is properly spelled out and you
are actually on the shopping site.
Shopping sites
require you to key in your credit card information, which places you in a
vulnerable position unless the site is truly secure. If your credit card
information falls into the hands of
scammers, they can use it as means to pay for their malicious
transactions. This can implicate you as an accomplice, which is why you have to
be extra careful in disclosing your financial details.
- Keep Your Digital Devices Secure
Make it a habit to
update your security settings. Updated security settings in your mobile and
computers can protect you against any virus or malicious attacks. One of the online scams that are still being used today, utilizes viruses or malicious commands
that can harvest personal information from your computer. This personal
information may include your banking details or private information about your
family. Scammers can take advantage of this info and use it against you to gain
money or favors.
- Think Before You Click
Another form of
popular online scams is activated through popups. Popups communicate some form
of urgency, which is why many people are tricked into clicking before they can
even think. These pop ads are designed to stealthily install malicious wares to
your computer. These malwares can monitor your computer activities and
communicate them to an online scammer exposing you to various vulnerabilities.
The details
provided above are just some of the tips that you can use to protect yourself
from these cyber criminals. Aside from this, you may also keep yourself
informed about the latest technologies and systems designed to combat the other
online scams.
