Whether it's online shopping, social media or paying your bills online, the internet is becoming more and more essential in our everyday lives. And while we may try our best to stay safe and secure online, there are those out there who would take advantage of us through hacking and scams. So, today, in a more serious blog post, we want to share with you a few easy and essential tips to try and make your online experience more secure.
Never Give Out Your Password...
This one might seem obvious, and maybe even silly to suggest, but there are a lot of scammers out there that would try and weasel your password from you. A scammer may pretend to be a company you have a membership with--your health insurer or your phone provider--and send you an email or a text asking you to go to a specific website or upload your password to them via return email or text. Beware of these scams! Companies will never ask for your password unless you are changing it on their official website.
Be Careful What You Click...
Similarly, if you receive an email or a text message that looks strange or unofficial it probably is. If an email arrives in your inbox from a company you deal with but has a strange return email address, beware! The same thing can be said of text messages that want you to click on a link that doesn't look official. Some scammers will even use real company logos and well-made emails to seem like the real deal, but will write something like "Dear customer" at the start of the email--a real email requiring action should have your name or your customer number in the text.
Keep Your Credit Card Details Safe...
As in the above examples, don't give out your credit card details. Phone call scams are going around at the moment where a recording from a big company like Amazon, for example, are telling you to call them back or visit their website as you owe them money. Do not be taken in. Also, unless you are purchasing something from a website you trust--eBay, Amazon, Coles--there is no reason for you to give out your credit card details.
Use Unique Passwords...
Try to use different passwords for different websites. And try to make those passwords as unique and varied as you possibly can. Use letters, numbers and symbols. Use capital letters as well as lower case letters. Yes, it's annoying and yes, it's hard to remember them all, but that's where something like a password tracker can come in handy. In both the App Store and the Google Play Store, there are password apps that keep track of your passwords so that you don't have to write them down on paper and can access them anywhere. We highly recommend the use of such apps to keep track of all your passwords and keep yourself safe.
If you are looking for extra security for your computer and devices, there are professional anti virus and scam protection software you can use/buy that we will cover in another blog post.
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