Modern children cannot imagine their lives without technology and the Internet. Often, toddlers can’t speak yet, but they can easily turn on their favorite game on their parents’ phone. However, all generations are different, including moms, dads, grandmas, and grandpas, who often still view modern technologies with skepticism. That is why our common task is to show the older generation that Internet technologies are a simple way to make their lives easier. For example, there is no longer a need to stand in line for hours to pay bills at banks or make an appointment with a doctor — this can be done online in just a few minutes, without even leaving your home.
Besides the obvious advantages, such digital transformation also has a number of disadvantages. Due to a lack of experience, cases of fraud against users who are just starting to explore the online world are quite common. That is why it is important to inform beginners, including their older relatives, about the potential risks on the Internet and ways to minimize them.
Top 5 tips to help avoid fraudulent schemes:
Common methods of fraud.
Do not open suspicious links.
Phishing attacks, which are one of the most common types of online fraud, typically begin with opening unwanted emails or messages on social media. To extract confidential information, such as credit card details or account credentials, fraudsters can also use social engineering methods. Malefactors are constantly improving their tools, so today phishing messages are almost indistinguishable from legitimate ones.
Do not click on the pop-ups.
Sometimes, during the installation of legitimate software on a device, adware can be inadvertently included. After getting onto the device, the threat can display advertisements, collect personal data, track search history, and also affect the device’s performance. That is why ESET specialists advise beginners to download programs only from official sources. Besides that, you shouldn’t click on pop-up ads in the browser, as they can redirect the user to malicious websites.
Don’t trust Internet lotteries.
Often, scammers use a scheme where the victim receives a letter congratulating them on winning a lottery or a bet. To receive the prize, you need to send personal information or a certain amount as an advance. To further confuse the victim, the perpetrators start creating a sense of urgency and demand immediate compliance with the instructions, or they will lose their winnings. It is worth noting that state lotteries never require winners to pay additional fees for their prize.
Do not grant strangers access to your devices.
In another common scheme of fraud disguised as technical support, criminals try to convince victims that their computer is infected and they must provide remote access to the device to resolve the issue. The consequences of such fraud can be very serious — from the loss of personal information to the theft of money from accounts. That’s why you shouldn’t grant strangers remote access to your computer, especially if you are not the one initiating the connection.
Check the legitimacy of bank institution websites.
Cybercriminals are increasingly creating copies of official bank websites, trying to gain access to people’s accounts and steal their finances. Often, the URL of a fake website differs from the legitimate one by literally one character. Therefore, to avoid becoming a victim of this scam, ESET specialists advise finding the official website of the necessary bank, saving its address in bookmarks, and using only that for conducting online banking operations.
However, it should be remembered that victims of scam schemes can be not only beginners or elderly people. In this regard, the tips will be relevant for all users. In addition to following basic recommendations, it is advisable to use reliable antivirus protection against online threats, such as ESET Smart Security Premium, which protects against phishing and also has a special browser that allows for safe online payments.
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