I have noticed in the news this year an uptick in the number of people falling victim to various online scams. Here are some ways to avoid getting scammed:
- Do not trust unexpected calls (from Microsoft, Google, and so on)
- If you are contacting someone for support make sure you have a legitimate phone number or email for them
- Never buy gift cards as payment for anything
- Do your research
- Never click on links or open attachments in emails if you are unsure of the sender
- Never hand over money without getting a second opinion
These are just a few of many things to help you avoid getting scammed. If you are unsure, always contact a professional or at the minimum someone else that can assist before proceeding too far down the line with a scammer.
Below is a link to a news story about a senior that thought he was contacting the Geek Squad to help him with his printer, but he was actually contacting scammers posing as the Geek Squad as he dialed a bad number from a phoney website.
