Email us
Call us
20th July 2018
Here are our 10 tips to protect yourself from cybercrime:
1) When providing payment details online, make sure you are using a secure site – look for the padlock icon in the address bar to verify this. From July 2018, Google started labelling websites that aren’t secured on version 48 of Chrome.
2) Always check that websites are genuine – Beware of adverts offering free items. If it’s too good to be true, it usually is… Some websites, emails, post and text messages can seem like they have been sent from genuine companies, make sure you verify their credentials before clicking a link or purchasing any goods.
3) Don’t share your online bank account details with anyone, this includes your User ID and password/PIN number. Also, monitor your accounts regularly to check for suspicious activity e.g. make sure there are no transfers out of your account you didn’t know about.
4) When using banking apps or payment apps on your mobile or tablet, make sure you keep your device secure with a PIN/Passcode.
5) Don’t share your email account password with anyone, especially if you use your account to correspond with financial companies and receive sensitive financial information.
6) Check your email account regularly and make sure that your password is complicated enough that it cannot be easily guessed e.g. don’t use the name of your partner/child, pets name etc.
7) Don’t overshare on social media – although a scary thought, when you share your personal information on social media, such as your date of birth, even if it’s only snippets, you could be providing information that can be collated to create a profile of your details. This information can also be used by fraudsters to guess what your potential passwords could be.
8) When disposing of paperwork, destroy anything which contains personal data – anything with your name, address or account information on, would be classed as personal data. This will prevent your data from getting into the wrong hands.
9) Ensure any of your computers and devices have up-to-date anti-virus software and a firewall installed. This will help prevent malware issues and computer crimes.
10) If you need advice about fraud, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 to discuss your situation with one of their specialist fraud advisers.
Sources:
https://gizmodo.com/google-will-soon-start-shaming-all-sites-that-don-t-use-1822842705
https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/support-and-prevention/protect-yourself-from-fraud
https://www.visasecuritysense.com/en_US/preventing-fraud.jsp
