Google Good to Know A guide to staying safe and secure online - Manual (Page 4)

Avoid scams
No, you probably haven’t won the lottery. You can’t make that much working
from home. And that deal really might be too good to be true.
The web can be a great place, but not everyone online has good intentions.
Here are three simple ways to avoid scammers and stay safe on the web:
1. Beware of strangers bearing gifts. If someone tells you you’re a winner
and asks you to fill out a form with your personal information don’t be
tempted to start filling it out. Even if you don’t hit the “submit” button, you
might still be sending your information to scammers if you start putting
your data into their forms.
2. Do your research. When shopping
online, research the seller and be wary
of suspiciously low prices just like you
would if you were buying something at
a local store. Scrutinize online deals that
seem too good to be true. No one wants
to get tricked into buying fake goods.
3. When in doubt, play it safe. Do you
just have a bad feeling about an ad or
an offer? Trust your gut! Only click on
ads or buy products from sites that are
safe, reviewed, and trusted.
Lock your screen or device
You wouldn’t go out for the day and leave your front door wide open, right?
The same principle applies to the devices you use. You should always lock your
screen when you finish using your computer, laptop or phone.
For added security, you should also set your
device to automatically lock when it goes
to sleep. This is especially important for
phones or tablets, which are more likely to
get misplaced and discovered by people you
don’t want to access your information, and
home computers that are in shared spaces.