How Do I Protect Myself From Scammers?

Have you set a "Do Not Disturb" service with your cell phone provider?

Are you following security and tech blogs?

Do you visit random sites and submit personal information?

Do you click random links from emails and SMS?

Do you get messages about winning lotteries and other financial gains?

Have you subscribed to security notifications from your bank?

Many scams start with text messages and phone calls. So, you can ask your cell phone provider to put your number on the "Do Not Disturb" list so that you won't get text messages and calls from such anonymous people. This way, you have saved yourself from half of the scams. But there isn't much you can do about email. Keep your spam settings high, and beware of emails from unknown people.

There are many security and IT blogs that provide an in-depth explanation of online sams and the ways by which hackers get the information they want. When you follow these blogs regularly, you'll have a good idea of what's happening around, the modus operandi of scammers, and how you can protect yourself and your Personal identifiable Information from getting hacked.

Though many sites may look authentic, in reality, they are not. Their existence's main purpose is to collect information from you and sell it for a high price on the dark web, where the buyer will use your information to act as your imposter and get financial gain. As scary as this may sound, you must submit your personal information only to those sites that are authentic and highly reputed. In particular, check if the site has an "HTTPS" word at the beginning of the URL as this indicates that the site is safe. Still, be on alert.

This method is called phishing, and it is a popular method used by online scammers to get your personal information like your bank details. To avoid falling into this pitfall, make sure never to click any link that comes in an email unless you know the source well.

These are the perfect ruse used by online scammers to get information such as bank account and credit card details. The scammers send a message saying that you have won a lottery and need to pay a certain amount to claim it. When you transfer this money to a prescribed account, after that, you will never hear from the person again. Remember, when something sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and you must stay away.

Banks send security notices frequently to protect their customers. So, make sure you're on the mailing list of your bank to get these updates. Contact your bank to get on the list to be updated on the scams to watch out for.

Follow it closely and also stay on top of the news to protect yourself against online scammers.