IT Tip of the Day: How to Protect Yourself from Vishing Scams
Vishing is a type of phone scam where the caller pretends to be from a legitimate company, such as your bank or credit card company, and tries to trick you into giving them your personal information. Vishing scams are becoming increasingly common, and it’s important to know how to protect yourself.
Here are some tips to help you avoid vishing scams:
- Never give out personal information over the phone, even if the caller claims to be from a legitimate company. This includes your Social Security number, credit card number, bank account number, or PIN.
- Be suspicious of calls that come out of the blue. Legitimate companies will never call you out of the blue to ask for your personal information.
- Hang up if the caller makes you feel uncomfortable or pressured. A legitimate company will not pressure you into giving them your personal information.
- Check the caller ID. Vishing scammers often spoof their caller ID to make it look like they’re calling from a legitimate number.
- If you’re not sure if a call is legitimate, hang up and call the company back using the number on their website or from a trusted source.
By following these tips, you can help protect yourself from vishing scams.
Here are some additional tips to help you stay safe online:
- Keep your software up to date. Software updates often include security patches that can help protect you from malware and other threats.
- Use strong passwords and don’t reuse them across multiple websites. Your passwords should be at least 12 characters long and include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Be careful what you click on. Phishing emails and malicious links can lead to malware infections. Only click on links from trusted sources.
- Use a firewall and antivirus software. A firewall can help protect your computer from unauthorized access, and antivirus software can help detect and remove malware.
By following these tips, you can help keep your computer and personal information safe from online threats.
I hope this helps!
