Tuesday , 19 March 2024

5 Necessary Steps To Protect Yourself From Internet Scams – Being Forewarned Is Being Forearmed

…Brazen schemes are pulled over people who don’t know how to protect their money so we’ve collected some basic tips on internet safety to help you out. By following these simple rules, you decrease the risks of your data or money…[being stolen] to absolutely zero. As they say, forewarned is forearmed.

 

This version of the original article, from Modestmoney.com, has been edited* here by munKNEE.com for length (…) and clarity ([ ]) to provide a fast & easy read.

…Here are some basic tips on how to protect your savings from malevolent people and organizations.

1. Have A Safe Internet Connection

Frauds’ technological approach requires a strong counterblast in the form of data encryption. If you check the address bar of our site, you can see that its name starts with HTTPS abbreviation, which is the name of the connection protocol between your device and our server. This is the improved version of the HTTP protocol, where the last “s” means “secure.” When you visit some site for the first time, you should check its web address to understand its trustworthiness: sharing your data on sites with HTTP connection is extremely insecure and risky.

…Aside from scam sites, your data gets in danger every time you use public Wi-Fi. When your money transactions, bank account operations, chat conversations, etc. travel to the Internet, they pass intermediaries – your Internet provider or the owner of the Wi-Fi hotspot you’re surfing from. As soon as the data is transferred “as-is,” it’s very easy for any member of the intermediaries chain to check your traffic and browsing history. To stop third parties from looming over your shoulder, a VPN is a must-have. Consider using the best VPN for Mac, Windows, Android or iOS. The…[best] product has to meet such requirements [as]:

  • …a fast connection speed
  • use reliable VPN-protocols, like OpenVPN
  • cover a sufficient amount of countries around the world
  • have a reliable Privacy Policy
  • work on the users’ payments, not taking money from third parties or government

2. Handle Passwords Correctly

The simplest and…[best] thing you…[can] do to protect your money is to take password creation responsibly. If your password from the online bank consists of letters in alphabetical order, “QWERTY” or classical “12345”, then we have some bad news for you – you’re doing everything wrong.

Three basic “password” rules are:

  1. Use a random password generator for 7-30 symbols-in-length keys, which must include lower and uppercase letters, numbers and special symbols. The absolute “no” is a password with your name, surname, birthdate, or pet nickname.
  2. Do not store passwords in a single text file on your laptop or smartphone; don’t leave the paper “hints” near your working place…
  3. Use different passwords for every single account you’ve created.

3. Don’t Share Credit Card Data With Anyone

Remember not to share your credit card data (card validity, CVV, secret word from your account) with anyone, even if you receive an “official” request from your very own bank facility. No entity has a right to ask you for such information, so, if a polite consultant asks you to spell out your PIN-code, then you can equally politely hang up the phone.

4. Use Double-factor Authorization

It may seem complicated at first, yet, the advantages outshine the efforts…[By] knowing what activity happens on your account, you double its protection.

5. Don’t Open Or Click On Links From Unknown Sources

If you receive a suspicious letter on the email, the best decision would be to delete this message immediately.

Now…[that] you know the basics of online security…no fraud will be able to mislead or steal from you. By following these simple rules, you decrease the risks of your data or money…[being stolen] to absolutely zero.

 Want your very own financial site? #munKNEE.com is being given away – Check it out!

(*The author’s views and conclusions are unaltered and no personal comments have been included to maintain the integrity of the original article. Furthermore, the views, conclusions and any recommendations offered in this article are not to be construed as an endorsement of such by the editor)

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