Enjoy a Safe Holiday Season

Take a moment to think about all the things you’ll be doing over the holiday season. The chances are that the internet will be involved in one way or another.

But in the same way that you rely on going online for shopping, gaming, chatting and many other things, fraudsters are working away in the background taking advantage of the fact that people are often distracted at this busy time of year. And now with AI, their scams are often even more convincing than ever.

Don’t give a cybercriminal a treat. Read our simple, easy-to-follow advice on protecting yourself, your family, finances and devices online.

Your top tips for a safe holiday season

• Online purchases

Fraudulent advertisements and websites, insecure payment pages and counterfeit goods are commonplace. Never pay someone you don’t know by bank transfer if you haven’t seen the goods in person. Check if a website is likely to be legitimate or fraudulent by using our Check a Website tool on your Get Safe Online website.

• Delivery scams

Items you’ve bought online and gifts from others can arrive by courier or in the post. A favourite scam this time of year is a text or email telling you there’s a delivery or re-delivery fee. If in any doubt, always call the courier or retailer on the number you know to be correct.

• Phones, tablets and computers

Safeguard new or pre-owned smartphones, tablets and computers with a reputable security app/software. Add a new and unique PIN or passcode as soon as you power up. Set up automatic backups of all your documents and photos so you don’t lose them. Review privacy and location settings on new and existing devices.

• Smart devices

Keeping factory-set default passwords for voice assistants, appliances, cameras, kids’ toys, fitness watches and other smart devices isn’t secure enough, so set up new and unique passwords. Remember that voice assistants and smart speakers are designed to pick up what you’re saying. Find more information about setting up connected devices.

• Pre-owned devices

If you’re selling or gifting a computer, mobile device or console, carry out a factory reset to erase your data. Find out how from the manufacturer’s website. If you’ve bought or been given a pre-owned device, remove the previous owner’s settings and data if this hasn’t already been done.

• Updates

Set software, app and operating system updates to update automatically on all your devices to avoid malware, which could lead to fraud, identity theft or snooping.

• Mobile apps

Download apps only from official sources such as App Store, Google Play or Microsoft Store. Downloading elsewhere could result in fraud or identity theft.

• Gaming

Avoid potential issues resulting from pirated games, griefing and in-game overspending. Keep track of how much time you’re spending gaming. Don’t share private information on chats. Keep an eye on your kids’ gaming by checking games’ PEGI age limits and talking with them about who they’re or playing and chatting with.

• Oversharing

Make sure what you share online is respectful and doesn’t reveal confidential, sensitive or embarrassing information about yourself or others, including family members and friends. If you’re out or away over the holiday season, keep it to yourself, as burglars love social media too.

• Video calls

Keep calls with family or friends safe and secure by using a service that needs a strong password, and don’t share the call invitation or details outside the person or group on the call.

• Out & about

Don’t use Wi-Fi hotspots in cafés, pubs, hotels, on public transport and other public places for anything confidential as they could be either insecure or fraudulent.

If you think you’ve been a victim of a scam, report it to the police.