Your Scam-Safe System Starts With These 5 Simple Tips

I’m always seeing news stories about the latest scams we need to watch out for, and it’s enough to make anyone afraid to be online (or even take a phone call!) But there’s no need to live in fear, nor feel paranoid whenever you get an email or a text.

You deserve to feel calm, confident, and protected online — and it all starts with adopting a few simple habits! The tips below will help you build your own scam-safe system to keep yourself safe without a ton of extra work.

5 Simple Ways To Protect Yourself From Scams

1. Strengthen Your Passwords

Creating strong, unique passwords for your online accounts is a fundamental aspect of cybersecurity. It’s your first line of defense against scammers, and it shouldn’t be ignored!

• Use unique passwords for all your important accounts (i.e., email, bank, and shopping accounts).
• Make your passwords at least 12 characters long and use a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols.

Bonus Tip: A password manager like LastPass or 1Password can create and store strong passwords for all your accounts. That means safer surfing and less for you to remember!

2. Turn On Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication (also known as 2FA) is an additional layer of account security on top of your password. It might involve entering a code sent to you via text or email, or retrieving a time-sensitive code from an authenticator app.

Use 2FA to secure your email, banking, and shopping accounts — all frequent targets for scammers. Look for the option to enable 2FA in your account settings. (It may be in a section devoted to security or privacy.)

3. Silence Unknown Calls

If you get a lot of scam calls (or questionable calls from unknown numbers), silencing or screening them can go a long way. Most smartphones have features to silence unknown callers or screen certain calls.

• iPhone: Go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers.
• Android: Look for “Call Screening” in your Phone app settings.

Silencing unknown calls means you won’t notice them, but the caller still has the option to leave a message if they’re contacting you for legitimate reasons. Call screening sends callers straight to voicemail.

4. Talk To Loved Ones

One of scammers’ most effective tools is social isolation. If they can keep you away from your support system by instructing you not to talk to anyone else or staying on the line with you, they can deprive you of one of your most valuable resources.

The best way to combat scammers’ isolationist practices is to speak openly (and regularly) with your loved ones about scams. In these conversations, you should:

• Discuss common scams and red flags
• Agree to consult each other if you receive suspicious calls, emails, or texts

It may sound simple, but even taking a screenshot of a suspicious text and sending it to a friend to ask if it looks legit can make all the difference. There’s safety in numbers, even when it comes to scams!

5. Slow Down

Scammers work hard to create urgent scenarios because they want you to act before you think it through. They may make you feel afraid, panicked, excited, or empathetic to override your logic.

• Adopt a personal rule: “If a call, text, or email makes me feel rushed or emotional, I will wait 24 hours before taking action.“
• If you get an email saying you owe money to a government agency or have been locked out of a shopping account, contact the agency or company through their official channels to verify the information.

Patience and diligence are powerful protections against scams!

Conclusion

You don’t have to live in fear of scams. With just a few small steps, you can build a scam-safe system that protects your peace of mind—and your loved ones, too.

How do you protect yourself from scams?