The online entertainment scene, particularly the gambling scene has been marketed as this glamorous fair you should be part of. The appealing chance of a big win (after a small investment) and the irresistible bonuses make this side of online entertainment a gaping hole for unsuspecting individuals who end up becoming victims of fraud and identity theft among other issues.
According to Play Casino, they have vetted the online casinos that have been listed on their site, and every players’ online safety is protected. By ensuring that they only allow safe and trustworthy casinos on their site, you can expand your horizons, perhaps increase your winning chances, and you have loads of fun. But, does this mean that players should keep their guards down? Is it enough to trust an online entity because its financial system uses 254-bit encryption? What else can you do to protect yourself and your private information? You are creating an online identity while participating in adventurous and risky online activities – are you safe?
Well, this article explores some of the most effective safety and security tips you might want to employ in online entertainment.
Investigate
Does the gambling site adhere to jurisdictional regulations? Also, go for sites that use e-wallets and investigate a gambling site before you go all in.
Use antivirus and the anti-spyware programs
Some might argue that the programs are not foolproof but, better to be safe than sorry and broke. Buy robust antivirus programs to scan your devices and even more importantly, invest in anti-spyware.
With mobile devices and online PCs are at a high risk of security breaches and threats hence the need for not only robust programs but ones that are updated regularly. Besides the software, you also need a robust firewall running to stop any malicious programs from infecting those devices.
While online entertainment services like online gaming and gambling push the boundaries of gamers, hackers and criminals are becoming increasingly smart, and so, you have to use the best security systems. Fortunately, there are affordable home antivirus and anti-spyware programs all around us.
Be careful what you click on
Links sent to your phone, email, or the online chatrooms will look legitimate, and they might not raise eyebrows and phishers know that. Once you click on that link, someone else could get access to your device, lock you out of your gaming account, or worse, lock you out of your device completely (as is the case with ransomware).
What this means is that in as much as those unauthorized patches and packages are expensive in the real world, you should avoid downloading them, especially when someone promises you access, for no reason.
Before you click on any claim free gift link or before you download content from an authorized site, ask around for the validity of the site and the product they are offering.
Be careful about who you chat with
Any online gamer you talk to will, if asked, note that they have ‘friends’ in the online space. They met through the chatroom and had been chatting for months since. While some of the gamers in the chatrooms are genuine, there always are criminals lurking behind the masks of anonymity and will use the friendship build to threaten your online (and even offline) safety. It is, therefore, important to be careful about who you chat with. On the same note, you should be careful about opening embedded links or attachments in the chatrooms.
Keep your private information away from cyberspace
There are details that you need to keep from the cyberspace at all costs. These include your social security number, place and date of birth, driver’s license number, your passport number, banking PINs, account number, card expiration dates, security codes and email/ physical addresses. You also need to protect your full name and phone number, as well as your employer’s details and your affiliations.
These details should be protected at all costs. In the wrongs hands, you could lose your identity, risk your life, and the lives of your loved ones.
Beware of the new phishing techniques
We know about phishing – you receive an email with a link to a website where you have to provide your details, and just like that someone has everything they need to steal from you or impersonate you. But, there is another tactic used by criminals – vishing.
Vishing or voice phishing is the most common electronic technique used by fraudsters. Vishing relies on the victim’s tendency to trust landline phone calls than other communication channels. A vishing attack aims to extract your banking details using an automated voice synthesizing and dialing equipment. The worst bit is that these vishing attacks are almost impossible to track. To be on the safe side, don’t give out your PINs and identification details to anyone calling from your bank, ISP or even the mobile operator.
There is also SMishing or SMS phishing/ SMiShing. Here, scammers use SMS messaging to defraud individuals.
Finally, use strong passwords and stop using public Wi-Fi.