Abuja - Online fraud and identity theft is a growing problem. We
are all at risk - but we can also all protect ourselves against the
most common scams by following some simple rules.

1. Practice good password habits
We should all know this one: Don’t use the same password on
more than one site, don’t use passwords that are easy to crack
-- which includes any word from a dictionary -- and don’t tell
your password to anyone, ever.
That means you’ll have a lot of passwords that are difficult to
remember, so invest in password management software like
LastPass, Password Genie, Dashlane, KeePass, Norton Identity
Manager, 1Password or another well-reviewed product.

2. Understand that email is not safe
The easiest way to get your personal details is to trick you into
giving them away yourself. Scammers do this by using our trust
in familiar names against us. We’ve all had the experience of
getting an email that seems to be from our bank, or a friend, but
turns out to be a scam.
The truth is, it’s incredibly easy to copy a logo, fake an email
address and pretend to be someone else. Even at PayGate we
have to be on the lookout for scam artists who try to use our
logo and reputation to entice people to pay them money.
There are two main kinds of email to suspect.
The first is anything that looks like free money: SARS is giving
you a tax refund, a relative you never knew about has left you an
inheritance or your bank is about to refund your fees.
Unless you’re specifically expecting an email like this - for
example, if the lawyer has already contacted you by phone about
the inheritance -- it’s almost certainly a scam. If there are
spelling and grammar errors in the email, take that as extra
evidence.
If you get an email like this, don’t respond. If you think there’s
any chance a legitimate company is trying to get hold of you this
way, rather look up their phone number on your own -- don’t use
whatever is in the email -- and call them to check. Otherwise,
just delete it and forget about it.
The second kind of suspect email is the one that plays on your
fear: For example, your account has been compromised and you
must update your details immediately or face dire consequences.
This one is easy to spot if it’s from a bank you don’t use, but the
trap is all too easy to fall into if the email looks exactly as if it
comes from your bank.
The basic rule is simple: NEVER access your bank via a link,
whether it’s in an email or on a web page. If you do, NEVER enter
any account or password details into any web page you get
taken to.
If you’re genuinely worried, call the bank or provider directly; and
if you want to log in to your account, type the address directly
into the address bar in your browse.
Always check that you can see the “https” and lock symbol
which mean that your browser is using an encrypted connection
to the site you have entered. You should also be able to right
click and view the security certification.

3. Don’t call me, I’ll call you
Anybody who calls you claiming to be from your bank, from
Microsoft or from another big name, and who asks for personal
information, should be treated with extreme suspicion.
If it’s just your bank’s fraud division calling to check that you
really did mean to make that unusual purchase, they won’t ask
you for any personal details other than to confirm that one
specific purchase.
Never, under any circumstances, give your ID number, address or
bank account details to someone who has called you. And never,
ever do anything on your computer that a stranger asks you to.
If you genuinely want to do business with these people, put the
phone down, look their number up on your own and call back.
If you think there’s a legitimate reason for the caller to ask for
your details, there is still a way to protect yourself: Ask the caller
to give you the first six digits of your ID number, or your house
number, and you will tell them the rest.
If they are who they say they are, they should be able to view this
information. This process should be followed in all cases, even if
you think the call is legitimate.
Following these three good information hygiene habits, will
ensure that you won’t be an easy target. Always err on the

of caution: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.


source: http://m.news24.com/nigeria/Lifestyle/3-ways-to-protect-yourself-from-online-scams-20140818