Stop, Look, and Think Before You Click

… a few tips to help protect your personal data from cybercriminals.

We are constantly being bombarded with unsolicited phone calls, text messages and emails as cyber criminals look at different ways to obtain our private and personal data.  The hope is that the few ideas that we share below will provide some added protection as we try to keep up and protect ourselves from scams.

Please note that this is by no means an exhaustive list.   

Hints to protect yourself from cyber attacks:

Create unique and complex passwords for each account. Update and change these passwords regularly.

Secure your Wi-Fi network with a strong password.

Update your software and antivirus for all your devices on a regular basis.

Be cautious with unsolicited emails, especially those with attachments. Never click on attachments unless you can confirm that it is coming from a trusted source.

Using unsecure Wi-Fi networks at hotels, airports, coffee shops …etc. is equivalent to leaving your front door open to cyber criminals.

Posting of your pictures on social media while you are on vacation signals to criminals that your home is vacant.

Pet names, your mother’s maiden name should not be shared on social media as it is often used to confirm your identity.    

You cannot always trust your phone caller ID as cyber criminals can “spoof” your telephone number. Caller ID spoofing is when criminals manage to hide the real phone number used to place a call by overlaying it with a legitimate phone number that is identical to that of the institution they are impersonating.

If you receive a call which seems suspicious and it is coming from a known entity, say your bank, hang up, look for your banks’ correct telephone number and call that number to check the legitimacy of call.  

It may be surprising to learn that text messages are now the number one means to target individuals. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that scammers target you via text messages at a rate of 23 times more than phone scammers.  

You may receive a text message stating that you have a UPS package or an Amazon gift card credit and all you need to do is click the link below in the message to receive your credit. Stop, think, look, and delete.

Complied by Leric Bishop, Certified Financial Planner