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If you have received an affirmative e-mail that you are about to inherit the serious money of a parent that you have never heard or clicked on a pop-up window that you won A big price, you are in countless other targeted by scams on the Internet. In fact, according to theFederal Trade Commission (FTC)About 1.7 million fraud reports were filed in 2019 and $ 1.9 billion were lost to impose scams, identity theft and harmful prosecution.

Although it is true that crooks become more sophisticated, it does not mean that you can not protect yourself from the target. In this document, we described how roskets work and the steps you can take to avoid becoming their next victim.

Cybercriminals are constantly looking for ways to violate security protocols on your computer. That's why it's important to always make sure that the software you use is always updated with the latest versions.

Online security companyNorton says: "A software vulnerability is a safety hole or weakness found in a software program or operating system. Pirates can take advantage of weakness by writing the code to target vulnerability." In other words, a computer hacker can easily exploit the failures of your old software to take your computer and steal your data.

The crooks are not just sitting and guess your passwords until they do not correct them. They are goinghack the safety systems of big brands like the target-And once they have done successfully that, they will try to use your password on all your other accounts.

If you fear that you can not remember several passwords for different accounts, your expertLiz Rodriguezsuggests using a password manager site asLast passage, which will encrypt your data safely.

"The use of a longer password is much more important than anything else," says Rodriguez, noting that the longer it is, the more difficult it is to crack. "Say your password isbabbyblue, for example; This is more likely to be in a dictionary emptying that the hackers use to run against the site. However,BabyBlueebuggieusMyFavorithindSintheweWornthorld We're not going to be there, "she says.

PublicWiFi networks Are like all yourself-my buffet for computer hackers. It is because they are "often unencrypted and unsecured, leaving you vulnerable to a man-in-intermediate attack", warnsNorton. In essence, all you watch, each password that you type and every purchase you perform when using a public Wi-Fi connection can easily accessible to a crook with the right tools.

The crooks like to discover information from their victims via a practice called Phishing. As a general rule, this is done by sending you an email claiming to come from a corporate site or social media and ask you to "provide or confirm your personal data",Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Explain.

"RCAders can easily make a professional appearance e-mail. So check the sender's address to confirm that it's legitimate," suggestsSean Messier, an analyst toCredit card insider. "For additional protection, simply search for the company's email yourself and send an email directly, rather than responding to anything that could be a scam."

"By and Great, the only way people become targeted by crooks arelooking for love online, "said private investigatorDaniel McBride. "It often starts with simple conversations on a platform and once the scammers see an opening, they start working their mark. Finally, they could offer a meeting that requires travel expenses, share a tale developed and false requiring monetary assistance, etc. on, to obtain their victim to allocate to allocate finances. "

McBride says he had monetary losses up to $ 100,000 and that most victims were women aged 30 to 50 years. If you want to go out safely online ", check that you are committed with the person or organization that you believe you interact with," he says. "Cross-phone numbers, addresses and other relevant relevant information for your grass relationship."

Online questionnaires and questions about Facebook who claim to be able to tell you your favorite breakfast food according to your mother's name of your mother or who ask you who was your favorite teacher in high school, is not as harmless as 'They seem also harmless. On the contrary, the scammers "use these data to hack your accounts or open lines of credit in your name", the Sutton Police Servicesaid on facebook.

Nowadays, it's common for peopleShare all thoughts on social media. However, less, it is more is a good rule of care in mind before publishing anything - at least one perspective of cybersecurity. The pirate pirates always summarize social platforms, you just wait for you to reveal information that can be part of your password. "

Phishing andPhishing attacks launches Use social media information to make their attacks more efficient, "saysMichael Kapono, Digital Manager toTetra Defense.

Identity thieves love individuals' individuals - especially those who are old and vulnerable to reveal their information bypretend to be of their bank or their insurance company. They will try to obtain information by offering false offers, such as credit card repayment or free excursions, so if you get a phone call on an offer that seems too beautiful to be true, it's because that this is the case.

If in doubt, call your credit card provider or bank directly to verify that the offer is actually from them before revealing all the information about yourself - or better, do not just take no numbers unknown at all. Instead, wait for them to have left a message, then Google the number to see if it's legitimate.

"The use of SMS as two-factor authentication is not recommended," says Rodriguez. Why? Well, according to the technical expert, the SMS technology-technology used for text messages - is relatively easy to hack, and it is therefore always safe to use a more secure application like Google Authenticator orAuthority, that simply have potentially sensitive informationSent via a text.

"Shopping on a fake website could result in stolen personal or financial information or that your device is infected with a virus or malicious software", warns the security siteAsecorative.

Before making a purchase on a site, you did not use before Messier suggests you to make sure that "the site you visit is legitimate.https and a locking symbol in the address bar, you know all the information you submit is secure. As an additional step, look for the name of the site onWho is Make sure it is registered in a legitimate business.

There is a reason why web browsers and websites always warn you not to save your login information on shared computers. Even if you only do it on a working computer used exclusively by you during the day of work, you never know who hasAccess to this computerAfter your return home for the evening. In addition, you have no idea of ​​the security of the Wifi network at your workplace. For all you know, it might require little for any effort to hack it!

According to the ACCC, the scammers sometimes configure false profiles on social media sites to access their victims. So how does it work? A concept can use a social media site to their advantage by holding them a false relationship, then convincing to this person to send them money. Other criminals will simply collect information available on your profile and your messaging with you until they have enough to hack your accounts or steal your identity.

The opening of someone else's mail could be a crime, but it does not stop ripping the scammers to do it anyway.Mail of your bank, the credit card company or the IRS could have any account numbers to your social security number, which facilitates the theft of your identity.

This contextual message that you have just won a free cruise for the Bahamas is almost certainly a stratagem by a staircase for money and information about you. According toFtcYou can generally know if a contest is a scam when you have to pay to enter or drop the check you have won, then report some of the money.

Crooks often get your personal information "through abandoned personal documents such as utility bills, insurance renewals or health care records," ACCC WARNING. Before laying sensitive documents, first run through a shredder. If you do not have one, be sure to tear and destroy all your papers until the information about them no longer readable, or get a treadmill of text darkening to cover it.

Never, never send a photo of your credit card somewhere where hackers can access it. If you absolutely need to give your account information, then do it on the phone; Otherwise, do you encounter in person so that you can avoid the possibility of a scample accessing your information.

Additional reporting of Allie Hogan.