We are at a point in time when pretty much everything we need can be accessed conveniently from the comfort of our home thanks to the power of the internet. We can shop, bank, and play online and mobile casino games with just a few clicks which makes things so convenient for us.
However, this convenience can come at a price—as more people migrate more aspects of their personal and financial lives online, cyber thieves are now more incentivized than ever to perpetrate heinous schemes to steal whatever they can from unsuspecting online users.
In contrast with thieves in real life, digital thieves can be even more dangerous despite not being able to physically harm us. However, digital thievery is a lot more dangerous because more cyber thieves are crafty and hence most users have no idea their online accounts have been compromised.
This cyber thievery is not just restricted to stealing money online. Cyber thieves have a variety of scams to run which include stealing one’s identity, obtaining confidential information, and using it to blackmail people, hacking banking and financial information, and using malware to shutdown important activities. Users who are not tech-savvy and don’t take the time to update their systems with the latest security measures tend to be targeted a lot.
While understanding the finer details of digital security can be very difficult for laypersons, it is easy enough to establish a number of good online habits to make yourself a difficult target.
Choose Legitimate Online Casinos
The online gambling industry is growing at a rapid rate as people from all over the world are finding it very convenient to play their favourite games while on the move. Online casinos are a key target for scammers which is why players should be very careful when signing up and playing at an online casino.
When choosing an online casino, it is best if the operator has a real address, is licensed by a gaming regulator, and has the latest SSL encryption installed. Online casinos have to comply with a series of regulations to gain a license. Make sure that your online casino is licensed and regulated as it makes things a lot safer.
There are a number of unscrupulous online casino operators out there who run fly by night operations. Dozens of new casinos pop up online each week. While it may be tempting to try new ones, opt for established online casinos with a long track record of reliability if you have a low threshold for risk.
Always make sure that the deposit page for your online casino, which is where you will be inputting your payment details to top up your gaming account has a picture of a lock, which certifies that the data you enter is encrypted.
It is good that you take all these precautions when signing up at an online casino as it significantly reduces your risk of being exploited by an online scammer. Even if the online casino is licensed, care should be taken and you should try to limit your deposits until you know the new no deposit casino is trustworthy. Once they have paid out winnings with no fuss, you should be safe to go all in.
Deposit a small amount first, play around, then cash out. Once you cash out successfully, deposit a little bit more next time and go from there. It is better to be safe than sorry!
Here are a few more helpful tips that should keep you safe online!
Protect Your Identity
The most important thing online is protecting your identity. Once a thief has access to your identity details, they can impersonate you across multiple sites, possibly gaining access to financially sensitive information.
Always choose a strong password that is unique to each site. Use a combination of upper- and lower-case letters, as well as numbers and symbols, for your password. Choose a password that has no easily discernible significance to you, such as your birthday, but make sure it is something you can remember easily.
Make sure that your important accounts all have different passwords, to ensure that thieves who hack one password are unable to access all of your accounts. For instance, use a different password for your bank, your online casino account, and your emails.
Get a VPN/Antivirus Software
VPNs and antivirus programs are two of the easiest methods to maintain your digital security. VPNs protect your identity from prying eyes online, and antivirus programs prevent the malicious viruses from infecting your computer and stealing your information. However, it is paramount that you choose an option that doesn’t strain your finances.
A number of free options exist for both, which you will have the option to upgrade later on. It is up to you to decide how much your personal data is worth. If you have thousands of dollars tied up in online accounts, it would probably be best to splurge a bit on stronger, but costlier, VPN and antivirus options.
Pay Attention to Small Details
One of the most popular ways of hacking into accounts is the sending of fake emails that impersonate the emails from reputable institutions such as banks or email hosting sites, asking you to confirm your identity by entering your password.
Check the small details to confirm the email’s legitimacy. Was it sent by an official company email address? Note that official communications always come from official accounts.
Similarly, before clicking on a link, hover your cursor over the hyperlink and see if the URL seems suspicious. If the link says it is supposed to be a funny picture, for instance, and the URL when you hover has a suspicious file extension, do not click.
Overall, remember that digital theft is a numbers game. Digital thieves generally want the least amount of effort to make the most amount of money. They know it is just a matter of time before they get caught, which is why successful thieves prioritize speed.
If you maintain good online security habits, you waste the time or even the best digital thieves and, chances are, they will simply move on to easier targets.
