Don’t Fall for Cyber Scams

Senior Care in Matawan NJ

A lot of seniors these days are using the Internet, smart phones or other mobile devices to surf the web, pay bills, do online banking, research health-related topics, or stay in touch with family and friends, both near and afar. The family member for whom you’re providing senior care may be one of them. If so, they are at risk, right along with the rest of the technology population of being scammed by clever fraudsters.

According to AARP, some 45 percent of respondents failed a recent quiz about online and wireless safety.  Because of that AARP has launched a free cybersecurity education campaign at its state offices throughout the country. Those interested in attending should consult their state AARP office for dates, times and places.

For those who can’t get to one of these seminars, here are several tips from the FBI and the AARP to help keep them, and their devices, safe when they’re online and using their computer or a mobile device.

• Don’t access your email, online bank or credit card accounts using public Wi-Fi. Always use a secure, private connection.
• Watch out for fake Wi-Fi at coffee shops, hotels, or other places that offer free Wi-Fi. Con artists set up networks with similar names to trick unsuspecting customers. Mind you, this is not to suggest that every place that offers free Wi-Fi is dangerous. You just have to be careful so you can distinguish the between the real thing and something fraudulent.
• Don’t let your mobile device automatically connect to nearby Wi-Fi.
• Don’t surf the Internet using an unknown public network if the website requires sensitive information—like online shopping, banking or bill paying.
• Don’t open attachments in unsolicited e-mails, even if they come from people in your contact list, and never click on a URL contained in an unsolicited e-mail, even if you think it looks safe. Instead, close out the e-mail and go to the organization’s website directly.
• Filter out e-mails with .exe attachments and set your computer to show hidden file extensions. Ransomware or other viruses are often delivered as a file with more than one file extension such as example.pdf.exe.
• Don’t click on pop-ups that may appear on your screen, even if they say they are “alerting” you to a problem with your computer or device. A good idea is to enable the pop-up blocker on your computer.
• Make sure you have updated antivirus software on your computer.
• Enable automated patches for your computer’s operating system and web browser.
• Only download software—especially free software—from sites you know and trust (malware can also come in downloadable games, file-sharing programs, and customized toolbars).
• Have strong passwords and don’t use the same password for everything you do online.
• Conduct regular system backups and store them offline. A lot of ransomware, malware, and the like, can encrypt any drive visible to the computer.

If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Matawan, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Lares Home Care 1-800-781-7435 or 732-566-1112.

Source: https://action.aarp.org/site/SPageNavigator/FWN_Cyber_Scams.html or www.aarp.org/watchyourwifi