GRISWOLD COMMUNICATIONS • 712-778-2121 • gr i swoldcommun i cat ions . com Online Scams Target Dog Lovers In one case documented by the BBB, a woman paid $850 for a Dalmatian puppy, only to receive additional requests for money— first $725 for travel insurance, then $615 for a special crate. 769-2557 In the end, the buyer lost $2,200 and never got the puppy—which didn’t actually exist. The BBB recommends the following: Do your research. Check BBB Business Profiles on BBB.org for complaints and customer reviews before you make the purchase. Don’t buy a dog without seeing it in person. If that isn't possible, request a live video call. Conduct a reverse image search of the photo. If the same photo appears on multiple websites, it’s likely a fraud. Avoid wiring money, or using a cash app or gift card. These payment methods offer no way to get your money back if fraud occurs. In addition, consider going to a local animal shelter to check out the dogs there instead of searching online. Is Your Information Safe When Using Public Wi-Fi? When you connect to a website, information travels from your device to the website. That could include sensitive data like the log-in information for your financial, email, or social media accounts. In the past, if you used a public Wi-Fi network to get online, your information was at risk. That’s because most websites didn’t use encryption to scramble the data and protect it from hackers snooping on the network. Today, most websites do use encryption to protect your information, so connecting through a public Wi-Fi network is usually safe. 767-2303 You know your connection is encrypted if there’s a lock symbol or “https” in the address bar to the left of the website address. However, it’s always a good idea to take these steps to protect your personal information when using public Wi-Fi: • Treat all Wi-Fi links with suspicion. Don’t just assume the Wi-Fi link is legitimate. It could be a bogus link set up by a hacker. • Try to verify it’s a legitimate wireless connection. It's easy for someone who wants to intercept your data to set up a network called "Free Wi-Fi,” or any other variation that includes a nearby venue name, to make you think it's a legitimate wireless network. To protect yourself, ask an employee about the legitimate Wi-Fi access point’s name and IP address before you choose a network. • Adjust your default setting. Set it to prompt you to manually select a Wi-Fi network rather than have one automatically chosen for you. • Avoid sensitive transactions. When using public Wi-Fi, don’t conduct financial/ banking transactions or do online shopping. • Protect your devices. Make sure you always have the current versions of your operating system, firewalls, Web browser, and antivirus and antispyware software. • Create and use strong passwords. Also turn on two-factor authentication when it’s available. Another recommendation is to use Wi-Fi that is password protected and more secure than an open network. If you have a choice between secure and nonsecure, always choose the secure Wi-Fi network, even if you must pay for it.
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