MITCHELL, S.D. (MITCHELLNOW) October is cyber security month and Google Cyber Security expert Kimberly Samra says that Americans lost $12.5 billion to online scams in 2023. She says that 90% of the scams began with a “phishing” email.
Samra says that when on email or online be wary. If something looks or sounds too good to be true, it probably is – so avoid it. If someone purports to be a trusted source online, check it out but do it independently, don’t email or ask them directly. Do some investigating and independent confirmation before responding.
Samra says don’t click on attachments and that no trusted source will ask you for information they should already have. She says don’t respond to urgent requests. Other advice includes always using a strong password and different passwords for each site or institution, if possible, having antivirus software on your computer and always being vigilant in your online life.