Tips to Stay Safe Online
Get Paranoid. If people can steal your identity in real life and sneak drugs through secure systems designed by thousands, they can probably create a fraud account into tricking you.
It would be a much better world if everyone’s word was good. That, however, is not the world we live in. As such, utilizing common sense principles will allow you to stay even more safe online. For those who have no idea what common sense principles could be, read on:
- Follow your instincts; if something seems too good to be true, it’s probably bad
- Never give out your personal information (credit card number, address) to someone you dont know.
- Never pay in advance before meeting the person you are doing business with.
- Meet in a public place.
- Get to know the person before you meet them; talk to them over the phone before meeting, e-mails an pictures alone are never enough.
- Try to maintain anonymity, no full names, place of work, or other information during early communications.
- Attempt to utilize an anonymous e-mail address when communicating rather than one that is tied to your social networks and other services that can reveal your identity.
- Check to see if you are able to find any reviews on the person you are attempting to communicate with.
- If you are unsure, or feel unsafe, then have someone with you at the meeting place just to be sure.
