Beat the Scammers

Four simple rules to stay safe this Christmas

Why spam is on the rise - again

"If you're going to encounter malware in 2018, chances are it will happen through spam," says Sean Sullivan, F-Secure's Security Advisor.Digital spam has been around for more than four decades. It is named after a luncheon meat, by way of a Monty Python sketch about a restaurant that has Spam in every dish and where patrons annoyingly chant "Spam!" over and over again.

Tips for keeping your kids safe on their Android devices

  For kids, apps are how they use the phone, and App Control gives parents the confidence of knowing that their kids are using only the apps they should, whether they're in front of the TV, on the bus or in their bedrooms.

How to include your kids in their online safety

    The line between the online world and the real world has never been thinner. The protection you put on your child's phone not only keeps your kids away from online threats in the virtual world, it can keep them out of danger on the streets as well.

Ways to make your Internet safer

  The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Centre processed 298,728 complaints in 2016, with internet users reporting losses of more than $1.3bn (£1bn). And when we see the results for 2017, the year that saw the two biggest ransomware attacks ever, expect those numbers to be even greater.

How to protect yourself from the Wangiri ‘missed call’ scam

  Mobile phone scams are on the rise but it’s not always easy to recognise fraudsters’ new tactics.   There’s one mobile phone scam that has recently been catching out a large number of unsuspecting victims – it’s called the Wangiri scam. This tactic sees fraudsters dialling from an overseas number then immediately disconnecting the call in the hope that the target will ring back. Victims that do return the call are redirected through an International Premium Rate service, which can cost a fortune for every minute that the call is connected. Some of these calls remain connected - even once the unsuspecting person hangs up - resulting even more charges.

“Life in Likes” - the impact of social media on 8-12 year olds

The Children's Commissioner recently released a really interesting and eye-opening report about children's use of social media between the ages of 8 and 12, and a few things really stood out for me.

How to secure your new devices

 If you've recently acquired a new mobile phone, tablet or laptop, consider taking these steps to protect your devices.Use a strong passcode/passwordObviously, you should pick a passcode to lock your phone that can't be guessed, even by someone who knows you. So don't use your birth year, your address or 1234. Better yet, use a password or a passphrase. And make sure it's one you don't use anywhere else.

Five ways to secure your new Android

Before you get started signing into your accounts and filling up your phone's photo gallery with selfies, it's a wise idea to think about the security of your new Android. After all, with all the things that our smartphones do for us these days, it only seems fair that we give them the gift of security in return.  

Staying safe against scam calls

Scam calls can happen at any time and often leave you, the TalkTalk customer, left feeling hurt, upset and out of pocket. So, we have made a simple three-step guide for if you are worried about a phone call. Hang up, Make tea and call back the official number.   

Festive faux pas: staying safe online over Christmas

  Over the festive period many of us will be shunning the busy high street and opting instead to purchase gifts for loved ones on the Internet. Whilst this allows you to shop for bargains from the comfort of your home in your pyjamas, unfortunately fraudsters don’t take a break at Christmas. With the majority of Christmas shopping (64%) being done online this year, scammers are using increasingly sophisticated techniques to take advantage of the influx of online transactions taking place throughout the festive period.