Protect yourself from cyber crime this festive season

As we grow into a generation where technology is key, we forget we live in a society where online safety is not guaranteed. Yes our internet banking is regulated with passwords and back-up passwords and perhaps a line of security questions, but we often give away information that we really do not need to. Remember back in the day when parents would warn their children not to mention that they are alone at home when the phone rang, in case it was a burglar that wanted to invade the property when the child was most vulnerable? Today the same premise counts, only, the internet had become your metaphorical telephone.

You might be fooled by these scams

People do stock trading, investments, banking and shopping online. Everywhere, someone is watching if you are leaving a backdoor open when you leave the site. Follow these tips from the experts:

When banking:

• Log on to your bank’s website by typing in the web address yourself instead of accessing it via Google search as this may lead you to a spoofed site.
• Criminals may sometimes call you and pretend to be from your bank, service provider or a reputable retailer. During this conversation they may ask you to verify personal and banking information. It will be safer for you to hang up and call the company directly to verify if the call is legitimate. Never supply your credit card/ ID number or any other info someone may request via an e-mail. If you have a banking problem, go to the bank directly, do not let consultants handle it remotely.

When trading/investing:

• If you want to trade or invest with a company, do a thorough background check. You can google a company for reviews, check on Facebook for comments, or scan official sites to see if they are registered as financial services providers.
• If you want to invest, speak to your bank or financial advisor/ auditor to determine the most reliable place for your top invest your money.

When shopping

• Only make online purchases with your card on reputable websites that are verified as secure sites (look for the lock icon in your browser and ensure that the address starts with https://).
• If it looks too good to be true, it usually is.

When doing general things on your smartphone/computer

• If you are a regular user, use different passwords for each site you log in to, and add digits, letters, uppercase and lowercase for better encryption.
• Block anything that pops up on your screen that you did not anticipate.
• Don’t do anything private on public WIFI. Hackers can intercept the network and gain access to everything.
• Create a back-up e-mail account that you can recover your main account with, should a hacker crack it and use it to gain access to any accounts online.
• Always keep your PIN and password secure. If you think your PIN or password has been compromised, change it immediately.
• Remember to change your passwords and PIN’s regularly.
• Download free Trend Antivirus and Anti-malware for your computer and/or smartphone.
• Update your smartphone and computer with the latest software and app updates.
• Monitor your cellphone reception. If you have lost signal for an unusually long time, you may be a victim of sim swop fraud. Immediately report a suspected Sim Swop.
• Never open suspicious or unfamiliar e-mails or attachments, and never click on links in emails or SMS’s. Criminals make emails and SMS look legitimate and often bait you with scare tactics to confirm your account details or to login to prevent your account from being closed. They even incentive you to win something or get something for free in order to get access to your account.
• Never save usernames, passwords or PINs on your cellphone or computer as it may allow others to access your banking without your permission.
• Never pay an upfront fee to secure a loan.