Dear wise senior,
I spend a lot of time online and love the convenience of being able to pay bills, shop, and catch up with my grandchildren on Facebook and Instagram. However, a few months ago, I discovered that my computer had been infected with malware and that cyber crooks were using my identity to create credit cards and make purchases. Do you have any simple tips to stay 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.
Although anyone can become a victim of cybercrime, older people are often targeted because they tend to be more trusting 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 include numbers and special characters such as exclamation marks or asterisks. Be sure to change your passwords between different sites and keep a written list of all your passwords in a safe place so that a hacker cannot access all your accounts using one password.
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 it a habit to avoid pop-up-style messages when using the web. Hackers may disguise malware as pop-up ads or “special offers” while you shop or read online. Clicking on these pop-ups can lead to viruses and data breaches.
If you see a suspicious pop-up message, don’t click anything in the window. Please leave the site or close your web browser.
If in doubt, throw it away. In some cases, online hackers may send emails or text messages pretending to be someone else, convincing you to share valuable information such as your Social Security number, address, or 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’s such a thing as oversharing, and it definitely applies to online profiles. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter make it easy for online hackers to gather information about you, from what you post to where you 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 shopping online or visiting your bank, double check that the website you are using is valid. Reputable sites use technology such as SSL (Secure Socket Layer), which encrypts your data during transmission. You’ll see a small padlock icon in your browser, usually with “https” at the beginning of the address bar, to confirm it’s a secure connection. If you don’t see this information at the web address you’re currently using, don’t trust your passwords, payment information, or banking information for that website.
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.
Send senior questions to Savvy Senior, PO Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or to: SavvySenior.org.Jim Miller is an NBC contributor today program and its creator “Smart senior” Book.