How to Stay Safe from Cyber Fraud

We now do so much online that cyber crime has risen alongside it. Online shopping, ticket booking, e-banking and social media are all potential targets — and beyond money, a hacked phone can leak your personal data. Staying safe from cyber fraud is essential.

How to tell if your phone is hacked

• Unusual data usage — a sudden spike can mean malware is using your data.
• Unknown apps installed — apps you didn't install may be stealing data in the background.
• Phone running slow — malware can drag performance down.
• Unknown calls/messages — to or from numbers you didn't contact.

How to protect yourself

• Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) for bank, social and email accounts.
• Keep your phone's OS and apps updated — patches fix security holes.
• Beware phishing — never share secrets via suspicious emails/messages; verify via the official number.
• Install only trusted, necessary apps; avoid unknown sources.
• Check security settings — keep 'Unknown Sources' install turned off.
• Never share banking PINs/passwords; report unusual transactions to your bank immediately.
• Tighten social media privacy; watch out for friend requests/DMs even from 'known' names.
• Use an ad-blocker — malicious ads can be traps.
• Use a VPN on public networks to hide your IP and encrypt traffic.
• Shop only on secure sites — look for 'https://' and the padlock; never pay on shady sites.

Cyber fraud is a very real problem today, but the right precautions keep you safe. Check your phone's security regularly, keep 2FA on, ignore suspicious messages and use a VPN. Cybersecurity is about awareness — the more aware you are, the safer you stay.