SENIORS – LEARN HOW TO SURF THE NET SAFELY AND AVOID ONLINE SCAMS

In this article we explain how seniors can surf the net safely and avoid online scams. These tips for seniors will help them to safeguard their personal information and protect their data from getting into the hands of hackers, thieves and online fraudsters.

For many seniors the luxury of growing up in a technically driven environment with computers and access to the net was non-existent (I recall my primary school owning ONE BBC micro computer circa 1980 for the entire school – the computer wheeled into each classroom with scores of excited, squealing pupils in awe of the amazing technology!) For many seniors technology can be intimidating, and with increased numbers of cyber criminals and hackers targeting the elderly more frequently, it is of utmost importance for them to be able to secure and protect their laptop or PC.

We take a look at how seniors can learn how to surf the net safely and avoid online scams – these tips are great for all internet users!

Seniors – learn how to surf the net safely and avoid online scams

1. 1. If you’ve received an email notifying that you’ve won a prize – cash or perhaps a car – the chances are you probably haven’t (especially if you haven’t even entered any competitions recently)! It’s more likely that this exciting email is a phishing scam requesting you to either click on a link within the email or hand over your personal information. Clicking on a link could take you to a spoof website (a copy of your bank login screen, or UPS package delivery service asking you to confirm your credit card details, for example) or it could link to a malicious website that will try to download malware on to your computer by asking you to either install some software in order to ‘qualify for the prize’, or attempt to install the malware silently, using exploits in your browser or Adobe Flash.

Other email scams to look out for are emails which ask you for your banking information so you can claim millions of dollars which have been left to you by some dubious relative you’ve never heard of. Allegedly, you are the last known next of kin – but it’s very likely a scam!

Scammers are upping their game so if you receive an email that looks odd, from friends or family members or your bank asking you to provide them with your personal information such as your passwords and usernames, don’t ever hand these details over. If you’re worried, or have the slightest concern about an email then simply delete it and forget all about it. Just like a phone call – if it’s important, your bank or family member will find another way to contact you.

2. When you’re out and about and perhaps decide to take a coffee in your local cafe and use their public Wi-Fi – think before you connect. Did you know that it takes seconds for a hacker or thief to access your personal details? Public Wi-Fi hotspots do not give any encryption security but you can use a VPN to protect your device and all the information on it. Check out our great tips to stay safe while using public Wi-Fi!

3. If you receive a notification on your computer or phone asking you to update your software – it’s a good idea to update it so it has the latest security patches. It’s also a good idea to install firewalls, and antivirus software. Keep your operating system (Internet explorer, Safari) up-to-date for maximum security benefits. But beware, if you get a phone call from a company overseas asking you to follow their instructions while they update your PC for you, simply hang up – they’re trying to install malicious software on your computer!

4. When you visit any website, you will see at the beginning of the URL either “http” or “https.” The difference here is the all important “S” which means secure, and any website your visit with “https” is secure, which means that part of your session is encrypted. If you click a link from an email that takes you to your banking website, take care to look for the “https” connection (the address bar usually turns a nice, safe green colour too)! If the “S” is not there, it could be a phishing scam designed to steal your login information. If in doubt, always go directly to your bank website from a trusted bookmark, or a Google search – not from a link in an email.

Check out my previous article for other internet safety tips for senior citizens.

If you would like to know more about HMA! Pro VPN, please feel free to drop us an email and one of our support donkeys will be more than happy to help you.

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