Cyber security: Manage passwords and use privacy settings to protect yourself from phishing emails and social media, text scams

CHICAGO (WLS) — Did you know that Chicago is number nine for metro areas in the U.S. with the highest amount of identity fraud?

That’s according to the 2022 Identity Fraud Study by Javelin Strategy & Research. October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and the Better Business Bureau is offering some tips to help consumers avoid identity fraud.

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Here’s a quick tip on how to prevent identity fraud.

Firstly, protect your passwords. Change passwords often and keep them long and strong. Use sentences with characters. Use different passwords for various accounts and enable multi-factor authentication when available.

Also, click with caution. Hover over email addresses to see where the full address and where that mail is coming from. Beware of links in unsolicited emails, text messages and those found in ads on social media sites. Never download or install files from unverified sources. If something looks strange, don’t click it.

When you can, set the privacy and security settings on websites to your comfort level for information sharing. It is okay to limit how you share information.