With March being Fraud Prevention Month, SaskTel is dropping some tips for web-surfers to protect themselves online and not fall victim to cyber-scamming.
While the internet has been especially used for connection this year, CEO and President Doug Burnett says its also been a year that scammers have been evolving the execution of their scams. Due to this, Burnett notes its important to take proactive steps.
These include using strong, unique passwords of every website a user goes to, not sharing personal or sensitive info on social media, and knowing businesses will not ask for sensitive information via email or message.
It’s also advised people use strong anti-virus or malware protection and keep their devices up to date, installing patch software whenever and as soon as it’s available.
Inspector Andrew Farquhar, Officer-in-Charge of Federal Operations for the Saskatchewan RCMP, adds that personal data is just that: personal. People should know, he says, exactly when, why and where their information is being used.
If someone gets a suspicious message, it’s highly recommended that they don’t even open it, as that’s all it could take to comprise a device’s security. If someone does open it, they should not reply or click any links. Instead, follow up with the business named over the phone or by checking the contact details on their website.
In the case a person falls victim to a scam or suspicious message, or is concerned about one, they should report it to their internet service provider, the RCMP and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.