As the internet continues to advance and act as a meeting place for people worldwide, the need to use it safely and responsibly increases. Unfortunately, there are a few online scammers out there who want to spoil other people's experiences.
Luckily, if users are careful, they can take steps to avoid falling for cybercriminals' tricks.
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| Five Ways to Avoid Online Scams and Stay Safe While Browsing: eAskme |
So, here are the top five things that you should remember when using the internet.
Use Safe and Approved Sites
One of the main things you can do to stay safe online is to use trusted sites with all the correct licenses.
If you play online games, there are plenty of options out there that operate outside of regulations. Avoid these sites and stick to the ones that experts have recommended.
For instance, people in the USA can find safe and approved USA online casinos at sites such as scams.info. The experts from the site trawl through online casino pages to find the ones with full gaming licenses, hi-tech security, and healthy return to player rates.
By using an aggregator like this, players can get straight to playing the games without having to assess the site's trustworthiness themselves.
Comparison sites can also be useful in various other industries when you quickly want to find a reliable option.
Set Strong Passwords
Two-thirds of internet users set up the same password across multiple accounts, and the consensus is that doing this raises the chances of your data being compromised.
If your password is stolen on one site, it can then be used across the others.
For this reason, it is imperative to set strong, individual passwords.
Your passwords should be made up of a combination of numbers, letters, and symbols, and they should be different for every account.
Use a Secure Internet Connection
Whenever you access a site that requires you to input any important or sensitive information, be sure to use a secure internet connection.
Your home Wi-Fi is the best bet here, as long as you have locked it with a strong password.
Whatever you do, don't pay for anything online when using a shared connection, such as in a coffee shop.
Don't Click on Links in Unknown Emails.
One of the biggest scams on the internet is the phishing scam, which is prevalent in 2021. According to research from Symantec, one in every 2000 emails is a phishing scam of some kind.
Luckily, most internet users are well aware of these methods, and few people would click on the link if they came across one.
However, the people behind these scams are getting more innovative and trying new ways to catch people off guard.
This can come in creating similar logos to well-known brands or pretending to be a friend or acquaintance.
Before clicking on any links in emails, always double-check the address and make sure it came from a trusted source.
Avoid Giving Away Personal Info on Social Media
Social media is one of the top places for cybercriminals to go and harvest information about users.
Unfortunately, many new techniques used there look completely harmless, and people happily share sensitive data about themselves without even realizing it.
The most common form of this data mining at the moment is the viral posts that ask you to comment about your past.
These viral posts can include things like the brand of your first car or your first pet's name.
Thousands of people like, comment, and share these things and provide hackers with a wealth of information that could prove useful to them at a later date.
Whenever you see posts like these, it may seem tempting to comment on them. But what do you have to gain by doing so?
It would be much wiser to leave these things alone and try to limit what you share on social media.
Conclusion:
A lot of the ways to avoid online scams are to do with having common sense.
But internet users should be aware that hackers continue to employ increasingly innovative tactics to get the information they need.
So if you are ever unsure about a site or product, check the reviews to see if it is legitimate.
If you still have any question, feel free to ask me via comments.
Don't forget to Twitter to stay tuned with us.
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