October is Cyber Security Awareness Month — a reminder to stay alert to online scams and keep your personal and financial information safe. Fraudsters are constantly changing their tactics, using emails, text messages, phone calls, and fake websites to try to trick people into revealing details or making payments.
Take a few simple steps to protect yourself online and stop the fraudsters in their tracks:
- Never click on links or open attachments in unsolicited emails or texts.
- Avoid clicking on links from social media or pop-up ads; instead, type the website address directly into your browser.
- Keep your devices and software up to date to protect against security vulnerabilities.
- Use strong, unique passwords and turn on two-factor authentication wherever possible.
- Avoid using public Wi-Fi when making online payments; always switch to a personal network like 3G or 4G.
Check before you shop using a tool called Scamchecker.ie to verify the legitimacy of a website before making a purchase.
Staying cyber security aware means staying one step ahead of the scammers — simple actions can make all the difference.
For more information on scams to watch out for visit www.fraudsmart.ie.
