How to Avoid Internet Theft, Fraud and Phishing

Written By Trevor A. Winchell

To keep yourself secure online there are a few precautions you should take. The internet is one way that people can accumulate personal information about you if the proper precautions are not taken.

Never submit any of your personal information through an unsecured email. Other people are able to view your information. Hackers could be anywhere. Your address credit cards and social security number should never be disclosed in electronic mail. Even if you receive an email that claims to be from a reputable website, you should never give your personal information through email that is not encrypted. When using a public computer, ALWAYS log out when you are finished. Even if you close the browser when you leave, someone can still view the history and find some if not all your information.

Do not fill in your social security number, full name or address on any website that is not secure. You can tell whether or not a website is secure be looking for the padlock icon. If it is a business website, you should check reviews from places other than that website and check the Better Business Bureau. Find out who is responsible for running the site and find out if is has a copyright date. If it does, then that means it has been registered with the government. That is a good sign.

Beware of phishing. Phishing is when frauds create a replica of a familiar website, most often times a financial website, in order to collect personal information like your username and password. The site will look very similar to the actual website, but you will not actually be able to enter the website after entering information. Never put your information in twice. If you do enter your information, and then are asked to do it again, try typing the url again and signing in to the real site. Contact customer service immediately and let them know that you suspect phishing.

In order to protect your computer, never open emails from someone you don't know. Just delete it. Internet explorer, believe it or not, is not the safest browser out there. Mozilla firefox and Opera are to competitors that are actually more difficult to hack or manipulate. Also, to protect your computer, don't open, download, or install any programs from any unknown website. Whatever browser you use, make sure that you are using a pop-up blocker and always keep it on. Your browser should make you aware when something has been blocked, and if you need to view a screen, you should have the option of viewing that pop-up only, or always allowing pop-ups from that single trusted website. Get a firewall active and virus protection. It is unsafe to surf the web without it now.

If you follow these tips you should avoid most opportunities for criminals to obtain your information and protect your computer from viruses. Always use discretion and think twice before accepting anything in email or any website.