10 Ways to Protect Yourself From Scams

Keep yourself safe by following these rules:

1. Never share personal information online.
2. Don’t open unsolicited emails. If you already have, don’t click on any embedded links.
3. Never send money by insecure means to an unknown party.
4. Protect your devices by using the most up-to-date operating systems, choosing two-factor authentication and using strong, unique passwords for every account.
5. Choose the strongest privacy settings for your social media accounts.
6. Keep yourself in the know about the latest scams and learn how to protect yourself.
7. Educate your kids about basic computer safety and privacy.
8. If you have elderly parents who spend time online, talk to them about common scams and teach them to protect themselves.
9. Don’t take the identity of callers at face value, even if your Caller ID verifies their story. If a government agency, utility company or financial institution reaches out to you and asks you to share personal information, tell them you’ll contact them on your own and then end the call.
10. Never accept a job or agree to pay for a purchase or service without thoroughly researching the company involved.

Above all, remember the golden rule of scams:

If it sounds too good to be true, then probably it is!