What Not to do Online

When you’re browsing the internet, there is a big chance you will come across potential scams, scammers, or viruses. Scammers have gotten more and more creative, watching what people are looking for and preying on the weaker ones like small children and the elderly. Here are some tips on what NOT to do when browsing online.

Trust everything you read

This applies to fake news and scams. Let's start with the first one.

When you're browsing through Facebook or YouTube, there will probably be some videos talking about "I lost 10kgs within ONE week! Click here to find out!". These posts are often very exaggerated and not trustworthy. It can either be an ad for a pyramid scheme or a ridiculous diet in which someone only eats three slices of orange a day. When titles have something added like "…click here to find out more", or unfinished sentences, they are often untrustworthy.

You should, therefore, always second-guess something and look for sources in the article. And even then, sources like Buzzfeed are less trustworthy than sources from any .gov website.

As for the scams, you might have come across emails or posts saying you are eligible to win $500 for "popular random supermarket". All you need to do is enter your address and phone number. Simple, right? Well, often, your phone number and address will then be used for spam-callers, spam mail, and sometimes even subscriptions, which you never signed up for. Other scammers go even one step further to ask for your credit card money so that they can "verify" you're real. In this case, they will use your credit card to purchase items without you knowing.

Reuse the same password

Almost every website requires you to create a password when creating an account. While it may be confusing to have 20+ different passwords, it is safer than using the same password over and over again. There only needs to be one person with bad intentions that comes across your passwords, and they could use it to access every website you signed up for, including your bank account.

If you need help creating a safe and secure password or want to know how to remember all the different kinds of passwords you use, have a look at our other article on password safety.

Skip two-factor authentication

Most popular websites have started using two-factor authentication. This requires a user to log in with both a password and another method like text-control or an additional email. This secures the account of the user in case someone tries to break in using only a password.

When you skip this method, your account will be less secure, and its easier to hack into by others.

Give away personal information

Many people enjoy posting pictures about their holidays on social media, and I don’t blame them! However, when you share too much information, it will be easier for people with bad intentions to either impersonate you. They could also use the knowledge of you being on holiday to break into your home since it's empty anyway.

Sharing pictures of your kids may harm them as well, especially when they're too young to give consent to be posted online. People can find out all the whereabouts of your kids, their age, friends, etc. As soon as this information gets in the wrong hands, it can be dangerous for you and your kids.

The same goes for teenagers or adults that share nude photo's with other people in private chats. There only needs to be one disagreement, or they could get blackmailed, which is an offense, but it also harms the other person who sends the photos.

There is nothing wrong with sharing a few pictures here and there, just make sure you don't give away too much information. Post your holiday photo's after returning from your trip or ask someone you trust to housesit for you. If you plan on sending nude photos, make sure you are both over 18 and don't place your face or any other identifying information in the picture that can be used against you. Also, only send photos to people you trust, not to strangers.

Use public WiFi

Nowadays, public transport, shops, and restaurants provide customers with free WiFi. While this certainly helps you to reduce your data costs, it also comes with lurking dangers. Open WiFi hotspots are, like the name states, free to use for everybody and easy to access from outside.

When someone is a bit skilled in hacking, they can enter this network and get access to all connected phones. If you then happen to check your bank account, they will be able to see this information as well.

To prevent this from happening, you can decide to stay on your network without gaining access to the WiFi, or you can connect to the wi-fi network but choose not to look up any personal information. WiFi networks that require a password are saver to use, so you won't have to fear about those.

Argue on social media

While this is an issue that doesn't occur as often, it can still be harmful to you. When you find yourself getting into an argument on social media, it's important to note that almost everyone can watch this fight happen in real-time. People may screenshot it, and then it will go viral, making it hard ever to remove this from the internet in its entirety.

Arguments can happen when you complain about your job, your boss reads it and decides to fire you. Arguments can also occur when you disagree with someone, and it turns into a massive fight. If this person gets angry, they could use all the personal information you have on your profile to turn against you. If you are a company’s representative, they could file a complaint about you. If you list your address, they may even be able to find your home and harass you.

However, angry someone may make you, always be the bigger person and don't engage. It's better for your mental health and your overall wellbeing.