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A HOW-TO GUIDE
Please Don’t Be Scammed
Recently, a friend of mine got scammed. The scammers gained access to their computer and their bank account. This person may not have caught it quick enough and may have lost their life savings. Here’s how not to do that.
Use 1Password.
Sign up for an account at 1password.com. and create a brand new VERY LONG password to lock your new 1Password account. I'm talking LONG, like 20-30 characters long or longer. Then memorize it. If you’re worried you’ll forget it, write it down and hide the paper in a very secure place until you’ve memorized it. 1Password then creates and saves a different gnarly password for every site or app you log into. Now, if someone hacks one account, all the rest are secure. If you need help, talk to a nerd.
Don’t give out personal information over the phone.
If you call the number and you know it’s someone trustworthy, then it might be ok in some cases. But never, never, never give out personal information to someone who calls YOU. Scammers can easily spoof a phone number and make it look like you’re being called by the FBI, IRS, your bank, Apple, Microsoft, etc, etc.
Block robocalls. Like right now.
Grab your phone, and follow the four steps below. Then when the robocall scammers leave a voicemail (they often do), delete it. Only return phone calls from people you actually know. If the IRS needs something, they will mail you a letter. If Amazon or Apple or Microsoft need something, they will email you (see below).
Email cannot be trusted.
Never, never, never assume that any email you receive is from the person who it looks like. Email is VERY EASY to fake. DON’T EVER CLICK ON LINKS IN EMAIL. If there’s really a problem with your Amazon/Apple/Microsoft/etc. account, just go to the website and login. If there’s a problem, you will see it there.
When you buy something online, be freaking careful.
Try to only buy from big sites you know (Amazon, Apple, Etsy, etc). If you must buy from a smaller company, make sure they’re reputable. If you have doubts, ask a nerd.
Always sign up for “2-factor authentication” if it’s available.
Some sites have this as an option. It means that you have to use another device like a phone to verify that it’s really you.
Use Apple Pay.
If you have an Apple Phone, sign up and use Apple Pay to buy things when it’s available. It uses the fingerprint or face recognition features on your phone to keep your purchases safe and anonymous. It’s very hard to hack (assuming you used 1Password to make a gnarly password for your Apple account). If you don’t use an iPhone, use Google Pay when possible.
Never use a debit card online.
Debit cards have DIRECT access to your checking account and usually don’t have fraud protection. Use a credit card to make purchases online. If you become a victim of fraud, there’s a good chance that you will not be liable for the money if you use a credit card.
Text messages cannot be trusted.
Text messages can be faked as well. Unless you’re 100% positive that a text is from the person it claims to be from, don’t click on links in texts. Look at this message I just barely got... There’s no way this person is alone and they are highly unlikely to have nice B000BS.
When in doubt…
Ask a nerd. They can help.