Online stats show that more than 8 million online users became victims of online scams in 2023, and the trend just gets worse from here. Therefore, it’s only evident that you should safeguard your internet and activity to prevent becoming a victim of online scams. For that, we’ve compiled a list of ways that can help strengthen your defenses against such fraud. Let’s dive into the list right away:
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Don’t Open Unknown Links
One of the most commonly used modes of scamming is phishing, which involves sharing a malicious link that steals the user’s information, leading to them being scammed.
Hence, if you encounter an unknown link online i.e. during file downloads or a website visit, or someone unknown sends you such a link stating urgency, don’t access it. There’s a high chance that someone is trying to scam you.
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Use a Protected Network
While you’re going online, ensure that your internet network is secure. Hackers use various techniques to infiltrate your network, monitor your device’s activity, and steal your information. One way of preventing this is securing your devices with a premium security suite that mitigates malware infiltration of any kind.
Another is choosing a reliable internet that has robust security measures at its end. You can look up internet providers near you. For starters, Spectrum has great security, blocking over 178 million online threats/month on average. Apart from that, you can also enjoy fast internet speeds, zero data caps as well as 24/7 Spectrum en español support (caters to English-speaking customers as well).
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Don’t Share Personal Information
From posting on social media platforms to inputting information in online forms, you should avoid oversharing your information. Using your information, hackers can impersonate you or even try to steal this information to log into your accounts. It’s how identity theft occurs and you should be wary of it.
In addition, you should practice clearing cache and cookies whenever you’re not using the web browser. This clears your saved passwords and details, mitigating the instance of someone accessing it through the website’s database.
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Avoid Visiting Malicious Websites
When you’re shopping online, you should only visit and shop from verified businesses. Their websites should have a sign of a protection which is its URL beginning with HTTPS showing. Moreover, web browsers are integrated with protection protocols that mitigate visits to potentially harmful and malicious websites.
In doing so, you can also activate your security suite to ban such websites from opening on the browser in the first place. This way, the browser will automatically suspend any such website from opening on your device even if you’re unaware i.e. your children might open malicious links.
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Don’t Approve Remote Access
No matter what anyone says or asks for, avoid approving any kind of remote access for your device. Chances are that the scammer will steal your credit information, enter it, and empty your bank accounts. Yes, it’s similar to what you see in the movies, and it happens in real life too.
Some potential ways to find out if someone has remote access to your device are tracking your online activity, checking for firewall settings, and running regular antivirus scans.
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Use a VPN
With a VPN, you can mask your IP address and prevent online users on any website from tracking your location. However, free versions of many VPNs only allow you to visit blocked websites in your region.
These VPNs aren’t good enough to properly mask your IP address. Many websites can track your IP even when a VPN is active, using it as a clickbait to download a premium VPN. Hackers also use this method to scam people into downloading malicious software that can take control of their devices.
You can download premium VPNs such as Nord VPN, Proton VPN, etc. looking at the prices and picking the option that fits your needs.
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Don’t Trust Unbelievable Pricing
One of the prevalent reasons why people fall for scams is because of some lucrative offer, especially in the case of discount offers. But before you know it, the hackers will take your credit information, access your accounts via phishing, and empty them instantly.
It’s a classic clickbait technique, luring the visitors to click the link, and leading them to a potentially fake website/ link. Just as highlighted above, avoid visiting such links, no matter how alluring the offer.
But even if you do so, avoid entering your personal details or bank details. This way you can minimize any damage and prevent yourself from getting scammed.
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Go for User Reviews
Whether you’re shopping on an e-commerce website or acquiring services from any platform, always check the user reviews. Even though many businesses list ‘potentially fake’ reviews to make the customers believe, you can always find out about the business on business listing websites or even on Google Business profiles.
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Don’t Send Money – Never
Whether it’s a ‘registration fee’ or a ‘premium member club entrance fee’, never send money for any service, product, or online experience. Like other clickbait schemes, many scammers often use this method to lure people into sending money for a more ‘personalized experience’.
However, the moment you send the money, the scammer runs away. In some cases, the scammer also lures you by providing a lucrative return i.e. 50% discount, promo deal, etc. But to avail of these discounts, you’ll need to submit more money and the cycle continues. So, don’t let the cycle initiate by not sending money in the first place.
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Use Ad-Blockers
Another common approach that scammers use to lure people is leading them to a website embedded with self-opening popups with a clickbait ad. These popups are embedded with a script that runs automatic downloads for spyware.
Once clicked on the specific section where the script is embedded, the popup opens and downloads the spyware, sometimes anonymously. However, by using ad-blockers, you can minimize such unauthorized downloads and prevent someone from accessing your network or the device.
Keeping in mind the growing number of cyber scams and threats globally, you should keep the aforementioned tips and methods handy. Not only does it make you knowledgeable, potentially helping you avoid but you can also educate others around you, keeping them safe from these threats.