3 online safety tips every senior should know
Posted 11-09-2015 at 08:11 AM by DavidRaonic
The Internet can be a senior citizen's best friend. It helps you to keep in touch with faraway friends and family members, offers convenient ways to carry out chores and provides countless opportunities for connecting with others through social media, on dating sites and e-mail. However, it can also make you vulnerable to scams and cybercrime. The following three tips will help you stay safe online:
Beware of strangers and offers
One of the most common forms of cybercrime perpetrated against seniors involves emails from fake banks, false businesses, and strangers asking for help, donations or promising prizes. “As a rule of thumb, never open e-mails from addresses or people you do not know personally,” explains Shelly Smith, director of Telus Wise, established to educate Canadians on wise Internet and smartphone habits. “If someone legitimate really needs to talk to you, they will use regular offline channels.”
Only trust reputable sellers and sites
While looking to book a trip or make a purchase, you may stumble across a deal that seems too good to be true. It probably is. Buying and selling online is a great way to shop but always make sure you are using a reputable vendor. “Do your due diligence by performing a Google search, reading online reviews and asking friends and family before supplying your credit card information,” Smith points out.
Your password is your strongest defense
You likely have several different passwords, which can make it difficult to keep track of them. So, you might be inclined to use the same one repeatedly or rely on an easy-to-remember solution like a birthday or the name of a loved one. You should avoid this at all costs. Instead, play around with different letter, number and character combinations and change your password frequently.
The Internet can be an invaluable tool – and plenty of fun – just make sure you use it wisely.
Beware of strangers and offers
One of the most common forms of cybercrime perpetrated against seniors involves emails from fake banks, false businesses, and strangers asking for help, donations or promising prizes. “As a rule of thumb, never open e-mails from addresses or people you do not know personally,” explains Shelly Smith, director of Telus Wise, established to educate Canadians on wise Internet and smartphone habits. “If someone legitimate really needs to talk to you, they will use regular offline channels.”
Only trust reputable sellers and sites
While looking to book a trip or make a purchase, you may stumble across a deal that seems too good to be true. It probably is. Buying and selling online is a great way to shop but always make sure you are using a reputable vendor. “Do your due diligence by performing a Google search, reading online reviews and asking friends and family before supplying your credit card information,” Smith points out.
Your password is your strongest defense
You likely have several different passwords, which can make it difficult to keep track of them. So, you might be inclined to use the same one repeatedly or rely on an easy-to-remember solution like a birthday or the name of a loved one. You should avoid this at all costs. Instead, play around with different letter, number and character combinations and change your password frequently.
The Internet can be an invaluable tool – and plenty of fun – just make sure you use it wisely.
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