NEWS

The Internet has opened many doors for our society. Many people carry a pocket-sized computer with them everywhere they go. The technology is convenient, but be wary of scammers ready to take advantage of good people like you.

Protect yourself with a few simple steps:

• • Be Suspicious. If you receive a phone call asking for personal information, credit card information, or something similar, take a pause. You can ask where they are calling from and hang up. Contact the official organization or agency to inquire about the phone call you received. When in doubt, do not share your personal information.

  • Verify Links before Clicking. Phishing attempts can look very real, but often there are indications of suspicious activity. When you receive an email with a link in it, check a few things before clicking. Who sent it? Is that their actual email address? Are there any misspelled words in the subject line or body of the email? If it appears to be from a friend or co-worker, give them a call to double-check that it came from them and not a hacker. When in doubt, do not click the link.

  • Use secure websites. You can verify that a website is reasonably secure by looking for the “s” in “https” at the beginning of the URL. URLs beginning with “http” are plaintext, meaning unauthorized parties can easily access them online. In contrast, “https” transmits all data in encrypted form, which is significantly more secure.

What should you do if you believe you are the victim of a scam? Report it immediately and take action to protect yourself. If you believe you provided financial information to an untrustworthy source, call your bank or credit card company immediately to make a report and freeze your accounts until you can rectify the situation.