5 Tips to Avoid Online Frauds

Victims of online frauds are seen on a daily basis, even if there are numerous online campaigns that are trying to make people understand the importance of securing their private data and avoiding potential scams on the internet. Luckily, there is still hope in this area, meaning that there are many ways to pay attention when dealing with all sorts of online programs and fake emails. We present five tips to avoid as much as possible the online frauds that might occur.

1. Don’t open suspicious websites

Flashy websites promoting all kinds of prizes and large sums of money are often met on the internet and, in most cases, these are presented in a formal email. Multiple pop-up windows presenting different promotions and asking for bank accounts should be avoided instantly. You can do that by marking the email as spam and then erase it immediately. If it happens to be the victim of on online scam, you can contact an experienced criminal defence solicitor.

2. Avoid opening doubtful email attachments

Emails presenting a must-have deal and comprising an attachment for complete information should not be trusted. In most cases, such attachments are just simple scams involving all sorts of viruses that will immediately affect your computer and other devices. In this case, it is best to delete for good this kind of emails, or better yet, you can report it and even contact a lawyer if you think that you could be the victim.

3. Don’t use mobile payments on unsecured websites

It is true that the retail sector developed quite fast in the past few years and the same thing is available for hackers who know the potential of this sector. Even if all the payments are secured on the internet, including for mobile apps, there are also cases of unsecured websites which do not have complete anti-virus protection. It is recommended to avoid such websites and instead choose the official websites of large and well-known retailers.

4. Do not reveal your financial information on the internet

There are also cases of online frauds comprising specific emails which ask for your personal financial data in exchange for huge prizes or financial gains. There are no such things like winning money or prizes on the internet if you simply provide details about your bank account. Avoiding such kind of emails will make you safe and sound from a financial point of view, so it is advisable to mark as spam anything suspicious. Even if a family member asks for your bank account, you might want to think again and offer such information in a different way.

5. Protect your computer and install an anti-virus software

Cyber-attacks are seen on a daily basis, so the attention to the ways in which you can protect yourself on the internet is extremely varied nowadays. Anti-spam software, anti-spyware software and firewalls are among the programs you should consider for your personal devices, in order to stay safe on the internet. There are numerous free software programs and systems available online, however, for full protection against viruses and internet frauds, you should pay for such packages and services and choose the well-known companies.