nine simple tips from experts to prevent your savings from being stolen
Every May 17, the world celebrates International Internet Day, a tool that, throughout history, has had its advantages as well as drawbacks. Although the Internet has served to facilitate and improve the lives of human beings In many aspects, it is also true that there are those who have taken advantage of it to obtain financial benefit fraudulently.
In an increasingly digitalized world, online fraud and scams do not stop growing. Spain closed 2023 with almost half a million cybercrimes, of which, 90% was online, according to the crime balance of the Ministry of the Interior. The origin of these attacks is very varied: email, SMS, malware, fraudulent stores, etc.
In addition, to this phenomenon is added the rise of Artificial Intelligence, which makes it even easier for cybercriminals to carry out their frauds. According to the Center for Sociological Research (CIS), more than half of Spaniards (52%) have been victims of some type of scam or attempted scam through your electronic devices in the last year.
This situation has made users on alert, in fact 94.5% have acknowledged being worried for the security and privacy of your data when paying online. From 20 minutes and based on the advice of experts from platforms such as Chollometer either Xatakawe put together a list of the best tricks to avoid putting your savings at risk while using the Internet.
Pay attention to the appearance of the Web
Normally the web pages that hide some type of fraud are those that have offers that are too large to be true and appear next to an inhomogeneous design or poor quality images. Sometimes they try to imitate official websites and can look very similar to them, but if you are attentive you can notice some details (such as differences in the URL) that will help you discover the scam.
Check the bottom of a website
Check the footer or footer It can also give clues about the veracity of the website you are visiting. If the page is original, in this part you should find links to the privacy policy, conditions of purchase, payment, shipping, warranty or after-sales service. If the website belongs to an online store, information about the responsible company, its NIF and other information must also appear. If it doesn’t appear you shouldn’t trust it too much.
Set limits on the card
To prevent money from being extracted from our card without authorization, it is advisable to put a maximum limit on the amount of money you can pay on a daily or monthly basis. In case of fraud, there would be a notice that an operation has been attempted which could be suspicious. Additionally, you can also limit the amount of cash you can withdraw at an ATM.
Take care of passwords
As for access codes or electronic signatures, it is advisable to protect both your mobile phone and the bank application with a password or fingerprint or facial recognition. Also, if you have more than one bank accountit is convenient to set different passwords, As with cards, setting a different PIN number for each of them.
Activate double verification
Banks aim to provide the greatest possible security to their clients and that is why they have implemented double verification. Although this tool is available for multiple applications and platforms, in financial institutions it becomes really useful to prevent unauthorized use of our account. In this way, andThe user receives a text message on the mobile or in the bank app with a confirmation request that you must accept during payment to authorize it.
Use reliable payment systems
If you use the internet to shop, it is recommended that you use reliable payment systems. Paying with PayPal is one of the best options because it allows you to recover your money if you have been scammed. Many websites have their own payment systems, but you should try not to use them when they force you to put in your card, and even less if you don’t know the store. If an online store does not offer PayPal as a payment method, then it is not very reliable.
Be careful with emails where they ask for your information
Once you have made the purchase, it is normal for scammers to send you emails asking for more information, but We should not give personal data over the Internett. This practice is known as phishing and it is becoming more and more the order of the day. Cybercriminals pose as legitimate companies to obtain your data, with which they will continue to commit crimes.
Never click on unknown links
You should be wary of any message or website that forces you to download any type of program, application or browser extension. There are online stores that suggest you download their official mobile apps and it is normal, the problem begins when they ask you to download the APK file of an applicationbecause in that case it could be some type of virus.
Contact your bank directly
Finally, if you think that you have been a victim of fraud over the Internet, you should immediately inform your bank. Some cybercriminals are capable of duplicating telephone numbers or making transfers from your account and only if you inform your bank will they be able to deny any suspicious behavior.
