More so than ever we all need to be careful when being online. The unfortunate news is that scammers are going nowhere… this year we’ve already seen an increase in the number of scam reports. They tend to target older & more venerable people, which is why we need everyone to know what to look out for when being online to avoid getting scammed.

How do I spot a scam?

Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether a site is genuine or a scam, but here are some things to look out for.

1. How did you get to the website? 

Usually scam websites start with a pop-up, if it’s from clicking an advert or trying to download something.. if it opens up without you expecting it to you can tell it’s a scam. Never phone any number if it asks you to!

 2. Check the website address!

Whenever you receive an email you think may be a bit fishy, check the email address or the website address that is linked. They may try to make it look like it’s from a website you know, but make sure the link ends in the website you know such as facebook.com or from a mcafee email address.

 3. Loud noises & pop-ups.

If a webpage is making a loud noise and popping up saying you’ve got a virus. Don’t trust it or ring any number, if you did have a virus… it wouldn’t look like this! This can be caused by malware & if you see this more than once it’s good to get it checked for malware but if you see this happen. Just hold your power down on your laptop or bring it into us!

Most of the scams we see the aftermath of are remote support scams, the best way to avoid these are by not giving anybody access to your computer unless it is someone you know & trust! If they’re already connected it’s not too late, turn off the computer and bring it in… it’s also good to check with your banks and suspend any cards saved on the computer. (As well as change passwords)

If you would like to know more about how scams work, different scam types or learn more so you can avoid them… talk to us. We’re always willing to help & give advice.