How to protect yourself online

When it comes to your online security, make sure you follow these hints and tips:

• Never share your PIN, security codes or passwords with anyone.
• Never write your password down and leave it where someone else might find it, such as your computer or on the fridge.
• Never click on any links in unsolicited emails or text messages. Known as phishing, clicking on these links can give scammers access to your electronic device, allowing them to steal personal information such as your passwords, bank details and credit card numbers. These links often look legitimate but take you to a fraudulent website.
• At any time, be aware that the accounts of your friends or other contacts could be compromised and controlled by a third party. Before clicking on any link, no matter who it’s from, always move your mouse over the link to see where the link will take you to. If anything looks suspicious, confirm with the sender by contacting them through a different channel of communication.
• Never reply to an email or text message that asks for your personal information. Verify any request with the sender by contacting them directly through a different communication channel.
• Never give anyone access to your computer remotely, especially if you have been contacted out of the blue by someone you don’t know.
• Ensure your electronic devices are secured using biometric features such as Two-Factor Authentication (thumbprint or facial recognition), and always make sure your anti-virus software is up to date.
• Never use an obvious password, such as your birthday or your pet or child’s name, as a scammer can easily work these out by searching your social media accounts. Consider using a password generator to create unique, complex passwords for your devices and accounts. Change your passwords regularly and don’t reuse the same password on more than one account or device.
• Never store your passwords on a browser. Use a password manager to store them securely instead.
• Avoid connecting to a public Wi-Fi network. If you must use public Wi-Fi, never conduct any banking or login to websites that require your personal details.
• Never use a USB drive unless you know where it came from.
• Don’t answer calls from any phone numbers that you don’t recognise.
• Be wary of any business that requests an unusual payment method, such as direct fund transfer, money order, pre-loaded card, wire transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. Confirm the request with the sender by contacting them directly through a different communication channel.
• Be wary of any new friend requests or potential romantic partners who ask for money or gifts soon after meeting them.
• Avoid any offer that pressures you into making a decision.
• If you’ve received an offer that seems too good to be true, it probably is — this could include things like high-end fashion or popular electronic devices at bargain-basement prices, or a once-in-a-lifetime return on investment.
• If we send you an SMS or email, it will clearly identify us and provide a contact number. If you are ever in doubt about any message you receive from us, always go directly to our website by typing onechoice.co.nz into a new browser window rather than clicking on any links in an email or SMS. It’s always better to safe, rather than sorry.

According to CERT NZ’s 2019 Cyber Security Plan, one of the New Zealand government’s top five priorities is making sure all Kiwis are cyber aware. This includes creating a culture where we can all feel safe online, and know what to do if something goes wrong.

While it’s almost impossible to protect yourself from falling for a scam, you can greatly reduce your risk of becoming a victim by knowing how scammers work. To help educate yourself, CERT NZ and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) provide up-to-date information on how you can identify and avoid scams. You can also follow CERT NZ on Twitter for up-to-date alerts.

Even when you have the best information, you can still fall victim to a scam. To help minimise further damage, follow these simple steps: 

1. Hang up – As soon as you realise you’ve been scammed, hang up the phone or shut down your browser window.
2. No payments – Don’t send any more money, even if someone promises they can retrieve your lost money for a fee.
3. Let your bank know – Ask your bank or credit union to put your accounts and credit cards on hold, or cancel them if necessary.
4. Security – Change the passwords on all your accounts and devices, creating a unique password for each. Update your anti-virus software.
5. Log it – Report the incident to CERT NZ to help them crack down on any illegal activity.
6. Tell others – Scammers rely on us being secretive, so telling your friends and family about the scam helps make sure everyone you talk to will be better prepared to avoid scams in the future.

For more detailed information on what to do if you fall victim to a scam, the New Zealand government’s Consumer Protection website has a host of invaluable resources and a complete list of organisations that you can speak to if you need more help.

If you’re concerned that you’ve been scammed by someone impersonating OneChoice, please contact us immediately. The sooner we know about your situation, the sooner we can take steps to minimise any further damage.

Data breaches occur when information being held by a bank, medical facility, educational institution, government department or commercial business has their online security breached, exposing confidential records and databases to hackers and other criminals.

Hearing that your personal information has been involved in a data breach can be stressful, but you can minimise any damage by taking the following steps:

1. Confirm – When hearing about a breach, either directly or on the news, contact the affected party directly to make sure you aren’t being targeted by a scam. One easy way to learn if your phone number or email address has been involved in a data breach is to use a tool like Have I Been Pwned?

2. Scan – Once you’ve confirmed that your information has been exposed, scan for malware on your phone, computer and other devices to make sure they aren’t infected with a virus.

3. Assess – Next, you need to determine what sensitive information has been exposed. Depending on the type of breach, this can be confirmed by contacting the breached party for more information or reading related news stories. For example, if the breach occurred at your bank, it would be safe to assume that your financial information (account details, identifying information, etc.) is at risk, and you should take steps to secure it.

4. Reset – You will also need to change the passwords for all your online accounts, even those that haven’t been involved in the breach. If any account uses your email address, name or other sensitive information to identify you, you should change the password.

5. Observe – After your passwords have been changed and you’ve performed a virus scan on all of your devices, keep monitoring your accounts at least every few days for suspicious activity.