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April holiday is here, and young adults are at home ready to explore and have fun, there’s one thing many of them will be doing: hanging out online. Due to this, it is crucial to ensure you have empowered your child or sibling with knowledge on how to be safe when online. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Timothy Mose, ICT- Security at ABC Bank, some of the common scamming tactics that young adults fall prey to include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Easy money: Have you ever seen an advertisement asking you to sign up and win some money or an electronic device for free? Watch out for those too-good-to-be-true offers promising guaranteed cash or free gifts!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Urgency: Have you ever been scammed via a phone call? Scammers always create a sense of urgency saying if you don’t send money, then something bad will happen. This is the case with online scammers as well. They lure you with inciting opportunities eg pay a 1000kes sign-up fee and win a trip to Mombasa, hurry, only 1 spot is left. By creating a sense of urgency, they make you feel like you need to act promptly by sending your hard-earned money or private information that gives them access to your funds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Sneaky upfront fees: Have you ever heard of someone who signed up for an activity like a course, trip or event, only for them to later learn that they were cheated? Some scammers will use popular events or current happenings to steal your money through charges like “application fees”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, how can they stay safe while online?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Teach them to identify legitimate websites by checking whether the site\u2019s URL is correct and reading their reviews online! It is important to remember that some scammers will create a new site with a URL that closely matches that of the legitimate site. It is therefore good to thoroughly do your homework before engaging with any website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Today, many Kenyans are paying for goods and services online or through their mobile money like their banking apps and M-Pesa. When making such payments, it is important for one not to share their details like their PIN or password. In addition, having protection such as two-step verification is an added security to keep your money safe<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. When engaging with a website or anyone through social media, always trust your gut feeling or sixth sense. If something feels off about someone, a service or a deal, it probably is. Investigate them further to ascertain their legitimacy before proceeding with the engagement or stop altogether. It is better to be safe than sorry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By giving our young ones the tools to navigate the online world safely, we’re not just protecting their present \u2013 we’re safeguarding their future!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"