While scammers diligently ply their trade throughout the year, the holidays always mark a sharp uptick in scamming attempts by thieves looking to exploit the muss of the season. Below are some safety tips you can take in a couple different areas to help protect your devices.
Protect Your Accounts and Devices
- Update your computer and device software to the latest version; outdated software is easier to compromise. Make especially sure to do this on any device you use to shop online.
- Use long (16+ characters) passwords, update them regularly, and make them difficult! If you worry about forgetting, use a password manager (but verify it on consumer reports first! Don’t just download any password manager!).
- Consider Multifactor authentication. This includes using your password and an additional measure to ensure it’s you logging in and not someone else. Facial recognition, fingerprints, and more, can be effective.
Watch for “Phishermen”
- Phishing attacks are frequently designed to appear they come from legitimate sources. Sometimes they falsely claim you won a prize, in others they may claim you owe them money. Either way, if it seems… phishy… it probably is.
- Beware of random links – especially from unexpected sources. If you don’t remember signing up for something, or if the number it comes from isn’t familiar, don’t click any links or call any numbers. Block it and mark it as spam or a scam.
- Don’t give out any personal information. Even if it looks like it comes from an official source, such as law enforcement or the government, it can be a scam. Most of the time, the government or the police will not email you or call you on the phone. Most official communications happen either in person (when they send the police to your house) or through the mail.
If it seems weird, it probably is. Always beware of who you share your information with and which links you click.