Gaming for money can be a lot of fun but it can leave you incredibly vulnerable. There is an entire world full of computer hackers that could help themselves to your money while you are enjoying a new game. This is a cause for concern, especially if you don’t know how to stop it. Follow these seven tips for protecting your money when gaming online and you should be safer.
Use a Reputable Website
Make sure you can trust the website you are gaming on, otherwise you could find that your bank account is being cleaned out while you play. If something looks suspicious about the site, you are using then trust your instincts and find another site to play on.
Read the reviews to see if the site is reputable. Here, other users will post information about their gaming experience or the suspicions they have about a site. If the site has a good reputation, then you are certainly safer, but you should still be on your guard.
Use a Trusted Payment Platform
Using a payment platform such as PayPal can help to keep you safer. This is a way of passing money through the internet which is more secure than typing in your bank or credit card details every time you pay to play. Here is an updated list of PayPal-compatible online casino sites.
Think of a Strong Password
Your password should not be easy to guess such as your name and date of birth would be, and you should use a different password for every site. A strong password will have a selection of letters, numbers, and characters and you will use both upper and lower case. You should never write it down as this will compromise your security.
Don’t Tell Anyone Your Password
You may not think you are doing anything wrong but sharing your password with anyone is an effective way to lose your money. Be careful what information you divulge to people online even if you think what they are asking is harmless. There are often quizzes on social media that ask things such as the name of your first pet or your nickname. You may think this is harmless fun but if this information can be used to compromise your security, then it stops being a laughing matter.
Change Your Password Frequently
Many people have strong passwords but then never think about changing them. Your password will be easier to guess or clone over time and it may not offer you enough protection against cybercrime in the long term. You should change your password frequently to make sure it isn’t being compromised and don’t share the same password between your gaming sites.
Don’t Use Public WI-FI
It is tempting to use public Wi-Fi if you are waiting for transport or on vacation. After all, using your own data can get expensive. However, you never know who else is using a public Wi-Fi connection and this is an easy way for hackers to steal your details. Although data roaming is expensive it can be a lot cheaper than returning from your vacation only to find that your bank account has been drained.
Install Anti-Virus Software
If your gaming device becomes infected, you could be compromising your security. Hackers often use viruses as a way of getting into your account and stealing your personal details. To avoid this, make sure you install anti-virus software on every device you are likely to game on. This will block spam and protect your data as well as keep you safe from cyber-attacks. Once you have installed this software, make sure you keep it up to date.
Follow these 7 tips if you want to make it harder for hackers to steal your information and your money.
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