Safeguarding Your Information: A Checklist for Combating Fraud

In today's digital age, protecting yourself from fraud is more important than ever. With the ever-increasing sophistication of scammers, safeguarding your personal and financial information has become a critical aspect of everyday life.

Every day, members of our Community share that they received phishing emails, scam voice calls, or text messages leading them to falsified sites. Nearly every scam is designed to trick you into sending money or providing personal information. Responding to these scams can have serious consequences and GetSetUp is committed to helping everyone stay aware and safe in today’s digital world.

To help you navigate this challenging landscape, we've put together a Fraud Protection Checklist. This easy-to-follow guide offers 10 practical actions you can implement to strengthen your defenses against fraud. Each step is designed to provide you with the knowledge and tools necessary to stay one step ahead of fraudsters.

Whether you're a seasoned internet user or just starting out, this checklist is a useful resource for anyone looking to enhance their security and protect their identity online.

Fraud Protection Checklist

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By following this checklist, you can take proactive steps to protect your personal information, money, and internet-connected devices from frauds and scams. Stay vigilant and prioritize your online security.

Protect your devices:

• Install and regularly update anti-virus and anti-malware software on your devices.
• Enable automatic software updates to stay protected against the latest threats.

Create unique, strong passphrases and passwords:

• Use strong, unique passwords for each account and website.
• Avoid using the same password for multiple accounts.
• Change compromised passwords immediately.
• Use passkeys or a password manager app

Shred papers with sensitive personal information:

• Safely destroy financial and any document with sensitive information such as Social Security and Medicare numbers before discarding them.Shred credit card statements, bank statements or other sensitive documents

Limit sharing of sensitive and personal information online

• Be cautious about sharing personal data online, such as your date of birth, address, Social Security, Medicare, driver’s license and credit card numbers, PINs, or financial information.
• Only share necessary information privately with verified individuals.

Be careful on the phone:

• Do not provide personal information over the phone unless you initiated the call.Be cautious of calls from fake bank employees, government agencies or law enforcement seeking financial information or assistance.Verify the identity of callers claiming to be family members in need of emergency help.

Report lost or stolen credit cards and identity documents immediately:

• Report lost or stolen credit/debit cards, driver's license, Social Security number card, passport, etc., immediately.Regularly review bank and credit card statements for unauthorized charges.

Strengthen social media security and privacy settings:

• Review and tighten the privacy and security settings for your social media accounts.
• Accept friend requests only from individuals you know and periodically review your contacts.

Be wary of downloading free apps, files, programs, or software:

• Malware can be hidden in downloaded files or apps, compromising your security.
• Periodically review your devices and remove unused apps to reduce security risks.

Don't respond to suspicious emails, phone calls, or texts:

• Legitimate organizations like your bank will never ask for sensitive information via email.
• Be cautious of unsolicited communication requesting personal or financial data.
• Be careful on dating apps:Be cautious of romance scams on dating apps.If someone asks for sensitive information or money, terminate communication.