Safer Socialising and Recreation
The internet has made it easier than ever to meet new people, research new topics and purchase new things. It has
also made it easier than ever for people to access you and your details whilst not having your best interest at
heart.
Scams
Scammers are people who make their money using illegal methods, usually by tricking you into giving them your
bank or credit card details. They may also steal personal data such as your phone number to distribute to other
scammers, making it more likely for you to be scammed again in the future.
A common way for scammers to trick you into handing over your details is through ‘phishing.’ This is when
criminals use fake emails, texts, or phone calls to trick people, usually into visiting websites that will give
your device a virus or help them steal your personal details. ‘Email spoofing’ is a particularly common form of
phishing.
A spoof is an email that’s dressed up to look like it comes from an official person or place but is actually
written and sent by a scammer. The hope is it will persuade you to respond by following the instructions in the
email which will more often than not lead criminals straight to your most sensitive information. You can avoid
being caught out with a ‘spoof email’ by:
- Double checking the sender’s name and email address. If you receive an email ending in ‘uni.coventry.ac.uk,’
it’s easy to assume this is an email from your university. But look closely. Does the email address have an
unusual amount of random numbers and letters? Is the name in the email address different to the name on the
signature? If you hit ‘reply,’ is the address you’re replying to different to the address that it’s come
from? All of these are signs that the email is not from who it says it is.
- Double checking the emails contents. Treat that email like it’s an assignment you’re soon to be handing in.
scan it for spelling or grammatical mistakes. Is it written in full sentences and is the tone formal or
informal? Is it addressed directly to you by name, or something more generic like dear sir/madame? Emails
that are not polished, professional, or addressed to you directly should be raising your suspicions.
- Double check what the email is asking you to do. If the email is asking you for money or to hand over
banking details or personal information such as date of birth or copy of ID, stop and think. This is
particularly true if they have given you a link to click in order to send over the information, or their
tone is particularly urgent or pressurizing. No official company or organisation should ever ask you to send
over personal or identifiable information this way, and certainly shouldn’t use pressure tactics to rush you
into doing so.
Useful Tip: you can use the official UK governments scam reporting email address, report@phishing.gov.uk, to forward any scam emails you get. You can
also forward suspicious text messages to 7726. This won’t provide you with personal assistance around scams but
will help the government realise the scale of the problem and should hopefully help them take action to stop it
in the future.
Shopping
Shopping online is easy, convenient, and can sometimes even lead to some great bargains. It can also lead to much
more than you bargained for. Easy dos and don’ts to consider to protect yourself whilst shopping online include:
- Do your research. The internet has made it really easy for small businesses to increase their profits and
extend their reach to a wider audience. Buying small or independent is a great thing to do – but it’s always
worth checking before you tap that ‘pay now’ button. Does the company or person you are buying from have
information on who they are and their backstory? If you google their name, will you find them? Do they have
positive reviews? If none of these apply, it may be worth thinking again to save yourself from at best
receiving a product that is much lower quality than you paid for and at worst not receiving the product you
paid for at all. Another red flag is if the company or person you are buying from cannot provide you with
written confirmation of their refunds or returns policy. If you receive an email or a message telling you to
click a link for an amazing deal or discount, don’t do it! This is a common tactic scammers use to either
steal your details or leave your electronic devices vulnerable to viruses.
- Don’t save your details. When you fill out a payment form online your browser will often give you the option
to save or autofill your details next time. As tempting as this may be, the fewer copies of your card and
personal details that are out there the better. If you use a certain retailor regularly and so want to save
your details for ease, see if you can set up notifications on your account so you will be immediately
notified if money is taken without you knowing.
- Don’t pay by bank transfer. Avoid paying a company or individual by bank transfer when buying goods. Paying
via bank transfer directly means that you are not covered by the same consumer rights and protection that
paying with a card or through a payment platform such as PayPal provides. This means that if you pay and
then the product or service is not delivered, there isn’t a lot if anything that your bank can do to get you
your money back.
Socials
The world of social media can be a great place to keep in touch with friends, meet new people and share your best
moments. It can also make it easy for unwanted people to find you. take note of the following tips to help your
socials experiences be nothing but positive:
- Be careful what you post. What goes on the internet stays on the internet! Even with the most private of
privacy settings, things that you post can be easily duplicated through copy paste, screenshots, or
downloads - even by people you think you know and trust. If it’s something you don’t want the whole world to
know about, it’s probably best not to post it at all. Remember that potential employers may also go and look
through your social media accounts to see whether they think you would make a good candidate, so stop and
think before you share that controversial opinion or make that post saying that you skipped work to go out
with your mates.
- Beware when publishing your location. It’s natural to want to share what an amazing time you’re having with
your social networks. But posting pictures or information of your location in real time can leave you very
vulnerable. Not only does it make it much easier for strangers to identify and find you, but it also
advertises that you are not at home, leaving an open door to professional criminals who are looking for an
easy opportunity. Many platforms offer a ‘geolocation’ option, which attaches a location to your post when
you make one. This means you can be sharing your location whenever you create a post without even realising.
Make sure to review your location settings and turn ‘geolocation’ off when posting to avoid this from
happening. Then you’ll be free to enjoy the moment!
- Be on the lookout. Great friendships and relationships can start online, but it’s always worth remembering
that not everyone wants to be your friend, even if they say they do. There are billions of people hiding
behind screens, meaning there is a chance you may run into someone that doesn’t have your best interests at
heart. Whether you are bonding with a new friend over a mutual interest or looking for that perfect match on
a dating app, stay alert for the vital signs that things may not be as they seem. Are they asking you to
give personal information or information that can be used to identify you? Do they suddenly have an urgent
problem that they need your help with? Are they asking for money, even if it’s the smallest amount? If the
answer to any of these questions is ‘yes,’ you could be one step closer to finding the fake or calling out
the catfish. Even if you think you trust them and really want to help, never give an individual any details
they could use to identify you or take from you. This includes personal details such as name, date of birth
and home address and financial details such as account number, credit card details or details of what you
earn or how much you have in your account. If their true intention is to be your friend, they won’t pressure
you for these things.
Safer Electronic Devices
Whether it’s a tablet, smart phone or computer, electronic devices are a daily part of living your best life.
Therefore, it’s just as important to make sure that the device you are using is as safe as the things you are
using it for.
- Secure it. Antivirus software. It’s good to have security software in order to protect your device
from unwanted viruses, which can infect it, damaging or deleting your files, slowing down your device’s
performance, or even stealing your personal data. This is particularly relevant if you use a laptop or
computer. Most computers will come with good basic antivirus software such as Windows Defender for a
Microsoft computer and XProtect for an Apple Mac. These basic forms of defence are free with your devices so
making sure they’re always turned on is a good start. Downloading additional antivirus that has more
comprehensive features is also recommended. You can get basic free versions of ones like AVG Antivirus Free – with paid subscriptions available should you want
even more advanced features. Be sure to check sites such as Totum, UniDays and Student Beans to find a
cheeky student discount or two.
- Protect it. Pick a good password. Passwords will only protect you if they’re hard to figure out.
Ideally, your password should have a minimum of 15 characters, and contain at least one uppercase letter,
one number, and one special character (such as @, or ?). A passphrase that consists of a few words put
together can actually be more secure than a random string of numbers and letters. It’s also much easier to
remember. For example, a good passphrase would be ‘monk3yPapercleaner!’ – although don’t’ use this one!
- Avoid unsecured networks. These are Wi-Fi networks that don’t require you to enter any password or
signup information in order to access them. These are most commonly found in public spaces that provide free
Wi-Fi to their customers – such as cafes. Unsecured networks can be dangerous as they allow hackers to
easily access anything you connect to through the network, such as what you’re browsing on the internet, any
passwords you input to login to websites (however secure they may be), and your social media accounts.
Taking advantage of a free unsecured network is giving hackers a free pass to steal your identity, infect
your device with malware, blackmail you by stealing your sensitive information before making you pay them so
they don’t release it for anyone to see, or even gain remote control of your device. Long story short, avoid
any free public network that doesn’t require you to sign up or sign into it.
- Take care on secure public networks. Free public networks that require you to enter a password or
create an account in order to access them are usually secure and all right to use. But it still pays to be
careful. While out and about on public networks consider turning off ‘file sharing’ and leaving those tasks
that require you to access sensitive information (such as logging into your bank account) until you get
home. On the web, be sure to always stick to website addresses beginning ‘https.’ the ‘s’ at the end stands
for ‘secure,’ meaning that the address transmits data in an encrypted form instead of in plain text – so
people can’t read the data that you’re sending and receiving when using the internet. If you have good
antivirus protection you may want to take advantage of its virtual private network (VPN) feature. A VPN will
encrypt and mask your data, including your browsing history, location, passwords, device details, and more,
making you completely anonymous while using a public network.