It’s increasingly essential to protect yourself online. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in Australia, with nearly one in 10 Australians experiencing fraud in the period between July 2009 and July 2010, says the VeriSign Online Fraud Barometer by Galaxy Research.
Ge security safe the next time you log-on with these five precautionary measures.
1. Be creative with your passwords
Passwords with a mix of numbers, upper and lower case letters and symbols are the most iron-clad, according to the Australian Federal Police.
Changing your passwords monthly can also help thwart scammers. Passwords to avoid include, those with personal information and common words. If possible, don’t use a password on a public computer.
2. Avoid opening suspicious attachments
If you don’t know the person who sent you the email, don’t open their attachment. The same goes for unexpected emails soliciting funds for emergencies from people you do know or messages with unspecified links – it could mean their email account has been hacked. Some signs that the email may be unsafe are when the subject line or email body offers a free service or claims you’ve won money.
There are also phishing internet banking scams, where fraudsters ask for bank login details by sending apparently official emails with legitimate looking logos. These may link to websites that appear a lot like your bank’s, or other institutions you are with, but in fact are fraudulent. Commonwealth Bank never asks for account information or login details over email.
3. Update security software
Check that your anti-virus, anti-spam and anti-spyware settings are current, switched on and up-to-date. Allowing your software to regularly install updates will keep your computer protected from the most recent malicious attack, as will automatic updates from your computer’s operating system. Don’t forget to turn on your firewall protection to keep spyware from infiltrating your system.
4. Keep vital information to yourself
Try to avoid giving out your date of birth or address on social networking sites, internet forums or over email. Scammers can use even one piece of personal information, such as your phone number or city of residence, to find out everything about you. This warning extends to what you put out on social networking sites, including information about going on holiday or being away from home for the weekend. Scammers can use this information to appeal to family or friends over email by claiming you’ve been in an accident or that you have lost your wallet in another country, says ScamWatch.org.au.
Ensure your Facebook profile is fully protected from anyone who is not a friend by setting your privacy settings to “Friends” only. Also make sure authorised applications aren’t using your personal data by reading the “Sharing with other websites and applications” section of the Privacy settings at the bottom of the Facebook home page.
5. Guard your banking
If you are making internet purchases or doing online banking, ensure a website is secure by looking for “https” in the URL. Keep in mind that scammers will sometimes link legitimate-looking URLs to spam sites that could steal your information. Put your mouse over the link to see the exact URL and copy and paste it instead of clicking on it if you’re wary.
When purchasing online, avoid software or web pages that automatically enter your financial information. Also consider secure payment methods such as the online bill pay services SecurePay or VeriSign.
Have you had an experience of online fraud?