By the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) says that, when you are sitting comfortably in front of your computer, it is easy to sense like you are the only one surfing the Web. Remember, though, that you actually have plenty of company, and some of your fellow surfers are up to no good. As part of Scam Prevention Month (March), therefore the FCAC reminds Canadians to protect themselves from Internet and email scam.
“Scam can take many forms. Nobody is safe from it, not even the most knowledgeable consumer,” says FCAC Commissioner Ursula Menke. One common form of scam is “phishing” where a victim receives a deceptive email that appears to come from a rightful organization, such as a Government of Canada department or the victim’s own financial institution. The email instructs the consumer to visit a fake website, download deceptive content or provide confidential personal information.
Your individual information, such as your date of birth, passwords, Social Insurance Number, credit card or bank account, fraudsters can use your credit card accounts or get new credit cards, and make purchases that you will be in charge for paying.
How can you stay away from falling victim to Internet or email scam?
Not at all give our personal information:
Never give your date of birth or social insurance number by email or on a website, unless you trust the site you are on. Check that there is a combination lock icon in the Web browser window and that the electronic address begins with “https://.”
Open a single browser window at a time: Do you use online banking? Don’t forget to clear your computer’s memory cache when done. (Tramadol)
Not at all allow your computer to remember your passwords:
Change your passwords frequently and do not share them with anyone. You can be held in charge for unofficial transactions on your bank account if you are found to have divulged information about your account, such as your password or personal identification number (PIN).
Make confident your computer’s anti virus protection is up to date:
Guard our computer against viruses, Spy-ware and Mal-ware and make use of the latest version of your Web browser.
Make sure electronic addresses integrated in emails:
Before opening attachments or clicking on links to electronic addresses, make certain that they are linked to the topic of the email.
Right of entry websites using the address bar:
Not at all click on links included in emails. Better type the names of sites into the address bar, it will safer for avoiding electronic mail scam.
Person who manages to collect enough personal information about you can simply steal considerable amounts of money from you. Identity stealing is a serious problem that each person must take precautions against. FCAC has a number of capitals to help Canadians guard themselves against different types of scam; in a video success story, Ken MacDonald, Crime Prevention Coordinator with the New Glasgow, Nova Scotia Police Service, offers a few suggestions about preventing telephone scam and identity stealing. FCAC also publishes tip sheets to help Canadian customers guard themselves against scam.