Are you talking to someone cute on Tinder? Do you make a lot of small purchases on World of Warcraft? Have you ever plugged your phone into an electrical outlet at an airport or a bus terminal to charge it and not thought twice?
If you spend any time on the internet—which, since you’re reading this handy primer online, you clearly already do—it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your personal information and devices. It’s not just your grandma’s foreign prince emailing her for money anymore; digital scams are becoming more commonplace by the day.
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You leave a digital footprint on every website you visit, and if you enter your email address or other identifying information, you are more susceptible to having your data compromised or your money stolen. From password theft and phishing to social media hacks and fake updates on your favorite smartphone app, con artists are more sophisticated than ever before.
If you’re a cautious and tech-savvy person, you probably know what the most popular scams are, but given the speed of innovation and the frequency of new product launches, you may need to update your knowledge. Check out this infographic from Digicert, which covers the history of online scams and sheds light on the newest nefarious ways of exploiting technology.
If you needed a sign, this is it: Before you swipe right on that Tinder hottie, make sure everything looks legit.
