4 habits that make you vulnerable to online fraud

Like a majority of people, you too must have been in the habit of doing banking activities, shopping and others via the online mode. However, with many unscrupulous out there ready to rob you of your hard earned money, it pays to learn what habits of yours make you prone to online fraud and avoid them. Here are 5 of them:

  • Using passwords that are too easy to crack: If you have common passwords like 123456, qwerty, 11111 etc, you make it too easy for hackers to crack them. Even using passwords that include your address, date of birth date, phone number etc could be easily compromised.
  • Clicking on pop-up advertisements: Some pop-ups are used to get a malware installed on your computer or lead you to surveys that are designed to collect personal information. Thus, clicking on them or completing such surveys can make you vulnerable to online fraud.
  • Downloading apps: Some free apps often promise a lot but what they do actually is to install malware on your computer to steal your passwords, computer files, account details and other personal information. So, the habit of downloading apps can prove to be a costly affair.
  • Checking emails sent by unknown sources: Clicking on emails from unknown sources is associated with the risk of detail-seeking phishing and malware, which make you susceptible to online fraud.

So, steer clear of these risky habits to protect yourself against online fraud.