New Year's Resolutions to Combat Scams
Next year, resolve to protect yourself from scams that can damage your finances and reputation. Ring in 2024 with some smart resolutions to protect your personal information!
Stay informed of the latest scam trends
Fraudsters continue to change their tactics. Stay informed by:
- Following reliable news sources.
- Subscribing to scam alert newsletters.
- Staying connected with your local law enforcement agencies.
The more you know, the better prepared you’ll be to identify and avoid scams.
Think carefully before sharing personal information
Phishing is one of the main ways that scammers attempt to trick people into providing personal information. Pay close attention to emails or messages asking for your username, password, or other personal information.
Scammers pretend to be from familiar organizations to gain your trust. Stay alert when receiving unsolicited calls that claim to be from banks, government agencies, or other well-known companies.
When in doubt, contact the organization directly through official channels to verify that the request is real before sharing any personal information or making payment.
Use strong passwords
Create strong, unique passwords that use upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Don’t use passwords that are easy to guess like birthdays or names.
Consider using a password manager to generate unique passwords and securely store them for each of your online accounts.
Be savvy with QR codes
QR codes are increasingly popular in restaurants, on parking meters, in emails, and on social media.
Scammers have noticed! They are physically placing fake QR codes on top of official ones or creating fake QR codes on social media advertisements to get access to your personal information.
Never scan random QR codes. If the QR code looks odd or altered, do not scan it.
Protect your social media profiles
Take a moment to review the privacy settings on your social media platforms and limit the amount of personal information you share publicly.
Fraudsters may use your social media posts to personalize scams or get access to your accounts without your permission. Regularly check your friends list and remove any unfamiliar or suspicious accounts.
As we welcome the new year, let’s make protecting ourselves against scams a top priority. We can significantly reduce the risk of being scammed by staying informed, being alert and careful, and safeguarding our accounts. We wish you a safe and secure year ahead!
Watch our video below to learn how to identify important red flags. Please share this information with those who may need it – and post it on social media.