Scams
What are the most common types of scams?
Romance scams, Lottery and charity scams, Tech support scams, Grandchild scam, and finally Government impersonation scam.
What is phishing?
A digital form of social engineering that uses authentic-looking—but bogus—e-mails/texts to request information from users or direct them to a fake Web site that requests information.
How to stay safe on your phone or tablet?
Apple’s iOS products can’t get most traditional malware files — it’s part of the super-strict design and protocols involved with developing apps for Apple’s App Store. The best way to stay safe on iOS is to make sure you keep your device updated.
However, Android devices can get infected with ransomware, spyware, trojans, and a variety of dangerous malware files. In fact, the supposedly secure Google Play Store is one of the most common sources of Android-based malware.
There are some great Android security apps that can analyze all of the apps and files on your device to determine if you have malware running — Norton’s mobile security app is really good.
How to stay safe using email?
To begin with, always check the sender’s email address to make sure it’s coming from a legitimate source. Look out for addresses that look similar to a known brand but with slight variations (for instance, @costco-special-offers.com rather than @costco.com). Always be wary of clicking on any links promising you cheap products or asking you to fill out a random survey to receive free services. Your friends can also be hacked — you should be very suspicious of any downloads or links that your friends send you. Always confirm with them directly through a trusted medium (e.g. telephone) that they sent you a file or link.
If you think the email is a scam, place the email in your spam folder (or report it as an unsafe email). If you’re given the option to block the sender, do that, too! Your email provider will remember this and prevent messages from that email showing up in your inbox.
Because your email will have a lot of personal details, it’s important to keep the login details secure. The best way to do this is with a password manager, which will generate a complex password for your email account, securely store the password, and automatically fill it in when you log in.
What is the safest way to shop online?
A secured credit card. That's because credit cards offer greater fraud protections than do debit cards. Federal law caps your liability at $50 for unauthorized transactions you report within 60 days, and most major credit card issuers offer zero-liability protection on top of that.
What is a romance scam?
A romance scam is a confidence trick involving feigning romantic intentions towards a victim, gaining the victim's affection, and then using that goodwill to get the victim to send money to the scammer under false pretenses or to commit fraud against the victim. Fraudulent acts may involve access to the victim's money, bank accounts, credit cards, passports, e-mail accounts, or national identification numbers; or forcing the victims to commit financial fraud on their behalf.
What is the most popular type of phishing scam and what do they try to get from you?
A phishing email is a cyber attack that relies on deception to steal confidential information from users and organizations.
Phishing victims are tricked into disclosing information that should be kept private. When a phishing email arrives, recipients have no reason to doubt the request. They believe that the party requesting the information – often posing as a familiar platform, a trusted vendor, colleague, or boss – is who they say they are. With the best intentions, phishing email victims respond without a second thought.
In phishing emails, cybercriminals often ask for the following information:
How to keep your privacy on your computer?
Use a firewall
Windows has a firewall already built in and automatically turned on. So does Apple.
Keep all software up to date
Make sure to turn on automatic updates in all devices.
Use antivirus software and keep it current if you do not have an iOS device.
Make sure your passwords are well-chosen and protected
Don’t open suspicious attachments or click unusual links in messages.
Browse the web safely
Avoid visiting sites that offer potentially illicit content. Many of these sites install malware on the fly or offer downloads that contain malware.
Stay away from pirated material
Don't use USBs or other external devices unless you own them
To avoid infection by malware and viruses, ensure that all external devices either belong to you or come from a reliable source.
How to stay safe on Facebook?
Cybercriminals are also able to take advantage of Facebook users by creating fake Facebook accounts and exploiting unaware individuals. If you receive any unsolicited communication or interaction from someone you don’t know on Facebook, whether it’s a message or a friend request, consider the following:
What 5 websites are reputable for online shopping?
1. Amazon
2. Walmart
3. Target
4. Home Depot
5. Best Buy
What is a lottery or charity scam?
Scammers trick you into thinking you've won a big prize in a fake contest. In most cases, the scammers will ask for money, personal information and other valuable material from you, claiming it's necessary to receive your prize. Volunteering your personal data makes life easy for imposters and an ordeal for you. (Lottery)
Some scammers try to trick you into paying them by thanking you for a donation that you never made. Scammers can change caller ID to make a call look like it's from a local area code. Some scammers use names that sound a lot like the names of real charities. This is one reason it pays to do some research before giving. (Charity)
What is a popup ad?
Phishing pop-up ads that appear while you’re browsing the internet are also very common. Some ads will ask you to claim a prize, or you may even receive a fake notification from Microsoft or Apple claiming something is wrong with your device. It’s best to not click on any pop-up ads that appear on your screen and simply click on the X in the corner to close the window — legitimate Windows notifications don’t pop up in the middle of your browser screen.
You think someone stole your information or your identity now what?
Open Discussion.
What are the top five most senior-friendly social media apps?
Bonus (700)
1. Facebook
2. Youtube
3. Pinterest
4. LinkedIn
5. Gransnet
Common Tips for Online Shopping
What is a tech support scam?
Tech support scams are an industry-wide issue where scammers use scare tactics to trick you into unnecessary technical support services to supposedly fix device or software problems that don't exist. At best, the scammers are trying to get you to pay them to "fix" a nonexistent problem with your device or software.
What are all the types of phishing?
What is the best search engine to use?
1. DuckDuckGo
2. Google Secure
3. Safari Private
Why should I be safe on social media?
What are some online/mobile banking tips?
Manage your money from the tip of your fingers.
What is a Government scam?
What is a grandchild scam? (Bonus 500)
In government impersonation scams (also known as government imposter scams), scammers call unsuspecting older adults and pretend to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Social Security Administration, or Medicare. (Government)
The phone rings, and the caller claims to be a relative in some sort of distress. They've been in a car accident, or they've been arrested, and they need you to send money right away. Often the caller claims to be a grandchild, and a worried grandparent rushes to help. (Grandchild)
Specific tips to help you avoid Phishing scams.
How can I guarantee my personal information will not be put online?
The only way to guarantee this is to not put it out there in the first place.
Second, always ensure there is an S when being on a website. So it should start HTTPS: versus HTTP:.
What steps should be taken in order to stay safe on social media?
Bonus (1000)
Know how to report, block, and filter content.
Personalize your privacy settings.
Pause before you post.
Turn off geolocation.
Use a private Internet connection.
Talk to your friends about public posts.
Report harassment or inappropriate content.
Look before you click.
Pick strong passwords and update them frequently. (USE YOUR PASSWORD TRACKERS!!!)
Make privacy a habit by doing a regular social media privacy check-up.
What is the purpose of online/mobile banking? (Bonus 2000)