A Public Service

March 1, 2024

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU’VE BEEN SCAMMED

Attribution: scambusters.org

If an online social media, shopping, or financial account has been taken over, the first thing you’ll likely know is when you discover someone is pretending to be you, spending your money, or posting on your Facebook or other account.

As we explained last week, you may be the victim of a data breach or have been tricked into giving away your sign-on details.

But if someone hacks your home network or mobile device, it may not immediately be so obvious. However, good security software can run deep scans of your entire system. Running this manually and regularly is good practice and may be the quickest way to identify trouble.

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Here are some other signs that might suggest you’re the victim of a digital break-in:

Your system or device is running way slower than it used to.

Your devices seem to be overheating and even shutting down.

The battery on your mobile device drains a lot faster than it used to.

On a computer, the hard drive activity light is constantly on.

You keep getting unexpected screen pop-ups.

People say they received messages from you that you didn’t send.

Your browser home page unexpectedly changes.

You have toolbars you didn’t install or agree to.

Programs open or shut without you doing anything.

Your electric bill soars (due to “botnet” or cyber currency mining activity).

Your Wi-Fi network suddenly becomes sluggish and unreliable.

Some of your files inexplicably disappear.

Passwords don’t work because someone has changed them.

These signs don’t prove you’ve been hacked but they should raise enough concern for you to thoroughly check things out.

In particular, frequently monitor your credit records and financial and shopping accounts for early warning signs that crooks are at work in your digital backyard.

You might also consider subscribing to online monitoring services that constantly check your accounts and the dark web for threats to your internet security.

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