By Tak Sato
Whether you live in the suburbs or a city center, boomers and seniors are likely to possess “The experience and knowledge necessary to deal with the potential difficulties or dangers of life in an urban environment.”
In other words, street smarts.
If street smarts are essential for living safely in our real world, is there an equivalent for the digital world since we spend more time there these days? Absolutely.
Don’t Be a Victim
Years ago, I coined the phrase, “internet street smarts,” which represents a set of ever-evolving habits and daily practices when using products and services in the digital world.
There is an underlying concept that drives Internet Street SmartsSM habits. Contrary to popular myth, most nefarious actors are not at your digital world door, trying to break in by brute force or guessing your passwords. Rather, they come in through emails, texts, social media and phone calls. You invite them in.
But how can that happen? Who rolls out the red carpet for a conman?
Many of us inadvertently enable internet crooks through simple actions: We open an unsolicited or impersonated email or message that has a malware-infected attachment, or we click a link that opens a malicious website.
The above technique is called “phishing.” Anyone, including internet crooks, can send hundreds of messages with a click of the “send” button, similar to a fisherman casting a wide net to catch a lot of fish in a short time. Then they sit back and wait to see who will take the bait by downloading a message or clicking a link.
Remember that con artists use this phishing technique with other communication mediums, like robocalls: “This is an apology call from your utility company. You have been paying more than your consumption. Please press one to get your reimbursement.” Sound familiar? If you had picked up the call and followed the instructions, eventually you would be connected to a live person who would ask for your credit card number so they could issue a credit. It’s game over at the point you give up your credit card numbers because they will charge your credit card for a phantom service instead of the promised credit.
Another variation arrives through a text message that can trick you into buying something you didn’t request. That’s why it’s important to build good habits, your Internet Street SmartsSM, so not only will you minimize the risk of being victimized, but also maximize your energy on what is important: enjoying life.
Build Your Internet Street SmartsSM
- Don’t open/answer unsolicited emails, texts, social media messages or phone calls.
- Verify senders’ email addresses instead of relying on the name displayed.
- Don’t participate in chain emails or social media messages.
- Pay attention to the language, grammar, spelling and other nuances, even in solicited messages, to spot imposters pretending to be someone else.
- Update operating systems and applications promptly, including the Swiss Army Knife of the digital world — browsers — when updates become available.
- Use unique passwords for each online account.
- Use encrypted messaging apps like the free Signal to communicate sensitive information.
- Review credit card statements and credit reports for accuracy and signs of identity misuse (annualcreditreport.com).
- Immediately change email passwords and check for email forwarding rules if you are notified that your email address is sending spam or phishing email.
- Don’t send cash, checks, gift cards or other valuables without discussing the matter with trusted family members or close friends.
- Be aware of common scam tactics such as threats, fear of embarrassment, false empathy and other emotions.
- Use websites such as haveibeenpwned.com or monitor.firefox.com to keep tabs on email and password data breaches.