Holiday Safety Tips – On-Line Awareness
The on-line holiday shopping season is in full swing and each year scammers and hackers are looking for different, inventive ways to gain access to your personal information. Please be alert and aware as you shop and interact on-line. The following safety tips are provided to help keep your personal information safe.
How to Protect Yourself – Do’s:
- Learn how to spot common scams and fraud. Find out the warning signs of internet fraud, phishing, and other on-line scams.
- Update your computer software. Download the latest versions of your operating system, malware, virus protection, etc.
- Talk to your kids about being safe and responsible on-line. If you’re a parent, help protect your kids on-line by teaching them about the risks.
How to Protect Yourself – Don’t:
- Don’t use the same passwords for multiple accounts. Try to make your passwords unpredictable and avoid using names, dates, or common words.
- When shopping or banking online, only use websites that use encryption to protect your information as it goes from your computer to their server.
- Don’t share your passwords or sensitive information with anyone you don’t know or trust.
Watch What You Post On-Line
Please be aware of posts that you comment on or posts that ask you what was your favorite teacher’s name, your first pets name, the High School you graduated from, your City of birth, your Mother’s maiden name, etc.
These types of questions are asked when setting up accounts as security questions. The answers that you give can inadvertently assist hackers in either accessing your existing accounts or opening credit lines in your name. The key to preventing these type of scams from occurring is to be alert.
If you have any questions about the tips provided in this Public Service Announcement, please feel free to contact Chief Doughney at (386) 517-2020.
