I spend a lot of time online and love the convenience of paying bills, shopping, and catching up with my grandchildren on Facebook and Instagram. However, a few months ago, I found out that my computer was infected with malware and cyber crooks were using my identity to open credit cards and make purchases. Do you have any simple tips for staying safe while online?
paranoid patty
Dear Patty
Unfortunately, cybercrime against seniors continues to be a major problem in the United States.According to the FBI’s 2022 Elder Fraud Report, Americans 60 and older suffered more than $3 billion in cybercrime losses last year. This has increased by 84% since 2021.
Anyone can fall victim to cybercrime, but older people are often targeted because they tend to be more trustworthy and have more money than younger people. However, there are many things you can do to protect yourself from online scams, hacks and scams. Here are some tips to get you started.
Strengthen your passwords. A strong password should contain at least 12 characters and contain numbers and special characters such as exclamation points and asterisks. Be sure to change passwords between different sites so a hacker can’t access all his accounts with one password. And keep a written list of all passwords in a safe place.
On your smartphone or tablet, be sure to set a 4-digit or 6-digit PIN to protect your device.
Opt out of pop-ups. To protect yourself from computer viruses and other forms of malware, make a habit of avoiding popup-style messages when you’re on the web. Hackers can disguise malware as pop-up ads or “special offers” while you’re shopping or reading online. Clicking on these pop-ups can lead to viruses and data breaches.
If you see a suspicious pop-up message, do not click anything in the window. Please leave the site or close your web browser.
If in doubt, throw it out. In some cases, online hackers send emails and text messages to impersonate others and persuade them to share valuable information such as social security numbers, addresses, and credit card information. This is called phishing.
If you receive a message from an unknown sender, do not reply or click on any links or attachments. Instead, ignore or delete the message.
Please share carefully: There is such a thing as oversharing and it definitely applies to online profiles. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter make it easy for hackers online to gather information about users from what they post (such as where they live).
Make sure your privacy settings are up to date so only people who follow you or your Facebook friends can see your posts.
Check the website. Before you shop online or visit your bank, double check that the website you’re using is valid. Reputable sites use technologies such as SSL (Secure Socket Layer) to encrypt data in transit. You should see a small padlock icon in your browser and usually “https” at the beginning of the address bar to confirm a secure connection. If the web address you’re currently using doesn’t show this information, don’t trust that website’s passwords, payment information, or banking information.
Have a backup: Practicing safe habits will protect you and your information, but you don’t have to rely solely on yourself to stay safe. Antivirus software works in the background to protect your computer from various malware, making it easier to avoid threats while surfing the web.
For more information about how to protect your personal technology devices and information, please visit: consumer.ftc.gov Search for “personal information and data protection”. To report fraud or identity theft, please visit: ReportFraud.ftc.gov and IdentityTheft.gov.
For advanced questions, please send to Savvy Senior, PO Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070 or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of the book “The Savvy Senior.”