Prevent and Avoid Scams by Establishing Rules and Creating Smart Habits

In case you didn’t know, for you to prevent and avoid scams, you need to be in control and engaged in your personal cybersecurity.

What does it mean to control and manage your online security? It means taking proactive steps to prevent hackers or fraudsters from doing the following:

Getting into your financial or social media accounts
Sneaking into and lurking inside your computer
Invading your home network and watching your traffic
Playing cons and scams that get into your head and cause you to make bad decisions

The reason you need to take control is simple: No one else is really looking out for your safety online. Sure, most companies have security measures in place, but these are primarily aimed at identifying potential fraudulent transactions. They can’t stop a scammer from fooling you.

Take steps to prevent and avoid scams with new rules, habits, and ideas.

No one other than you (or your close family) will help keep watch over your accounts and assets and stay vigilant. Sure, you can pay a company for identity theft protection services, such as LifeLock. However, even then, they’ll mostly notify you and offer assistance when something has gone wrong with one of your accounts—or when they see something has happened or is happening. In those cases, it might be too late.

In any case, that won’t be enough to help you prevent and avoid scams. Why? Because victims of scams willingly and unwittingly give their money to a scammer, of course, without knowing they’re being tricked or swindled. An identity protection service can’t help anyone with that.

More than that, those services don’t educate you on the other safeguards you can take to limit your exposure to scams and fraud and lower your risk profile. That’s not their job. To lower your risk of being victimized, you have to take control of your online life.

7 Smart Habits that Prevent You From Falling for a Scam

Prevent and avoid scams with new rules, habits, and ideas.

You may not have had any close calls with scammers lately, but it’s vital to remember that scams do happen often and when you least expect them. A scammer hopes to catch you off guard when you’re not on high alert and ripe to fall for their scheme.

Here are some tried-and-true rules to follow and habits to develop—as well as new steps to take—from cybersecurity experts. None of these is difficult, and each one can go a long way towards boosting your personal online security.

New rules for you:

Hang up on (or simply don’t answer) unexpected calls. A call from a random number could be from a telemarketer or a scammer. In either case, you don’t want to start a conversation. A legitimate caller will leave a voicemail message you can look for after the call.
Look at the back of a credit card for real phone numbers: If a caller says they’re from your bank or credit card company, saying that there’s a big problem, end the call. Then find your card—or go to the official website—and find the customer service number. Reach out and find out if there’s a real problem.
Don’t be afraid to seem rude. Scammers count on our good nature and manners, expecting people to be polite. Nice guys get scammed. If you hang up on a caller because you’re suspicious, you’re not being rude; you are protecting yourself.
Stay calm when you get an “urgent” message. Scammers use fear to unnerve us and cloud our normal judgment. Urgent messages—such as a large purchase was charged to your credit card or a package you ordered is being returned—are often scams. Slow down and think before responding, and don’t engage with the text or email.
Tell a family member or close friend about an odd message you get. If you’re unsure about a call or message, don’t respond. Then, call a family member you trust and ask their opinion on whether it can be a scam.

Scammers need to engage you from the start to make their plan work. If you don’t take the hook and don’t respond, they can’t do a thing and will just move on.

New ideas for you.

Examine all bank and credit card monthly statements. People often assume their accounts are secure until something goes wrong. Take the time to give all your monthly statements a quick scan. You might discover a fraudulent transaction or that you were billed for an item mistakenly. In either case, it’s worth the quick minute it will take.
Review your credit reports annually. When was the last time you checked all credit reports? Ever? The three major credit bureaus are Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Each will allow you a free credit report weekly.
“Freeze” your credit with the credit bureaus. Scammers and identity thieves apply for loans and credit with stolen credentials and information. When you lock or freeze your credit, no one—you or a scammer—can apply for credit in your name. How often do you apply for a loan or credit card? Probably not too much. It’s free, smart, and easy to lock and unlock. Learn how.
Set up your Social Security account in advance. Scammers will apply for and receive Social Security benefits using stolen information about their victims. Prevent that by setting up your own secure online account. Visit www.ssa.gov/myaccount and select “Create an Account” on the official Social Security Administration website.

If you’ve switched to paperless statements, you’ll need to go online, log in to your accounts, and find your latest statement.

Important reminders for you.

Be smart about account passwords. Don’t use the same password for different accounts; have complex, long passwords and consider setting up a password manager.
Use multi-factor authentication on key accounts. Most websites offer an extra step at login that prevents anyone other than you from accessing your account. Even if a cyberthief has your username and password, they can’t bypass two-factor authentication.
Learn the warning signs (red flags) of the top scams. Increasing your awareness of scams is a major component of staying safe. Every scam has its own red flags that you can learn to spot.

You’ve probably heard all this advice before, but have you followed it? These simple steps provide powerful protection for your accounts.

Learn about protecting yourself online and in daily life.

Fraudsters, hackers, and scammers are relentless, never letting up on their attacks. Everyone is a target, but that doesn’t mean everyone will become a victim—not if they take steps to boost their security. For more valuable resources, see the articles and podcast episodes listed at our Learning Center.

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