July 2017: No one wants to be scammed — it can lead to problems ranging from a messed-up device to identity theft to holding your network hostage for a ransom.
Scroll through this list of 10 top hacker scams and see what you can do to stay on top of your no-scammer game.
| Scam | What it does | How to stop it |
| 1. Phishing | Tricks you into downloading malware like ransomware, spyware, trojans and worms | Stop clicking on links in emails and texts from people you don’t know |
| 2. Wireless hijacking | Gets into your network through your modem or router | Change the default password on your modem and router. Password protect your WiFi and be stingy about sharing your password |
| 3. Impersonation | Fools customer service reps into believing they’re talking to you | Enable two-step and lie on your security question answers so they’re tougher to guess |
| 4. Theft | Attempts to gain access to everything on your phone and all of its apps | Disable automatic wifi joining. Disabled bluetooth when not using it Always protect your device with a password or fingerprint sensor and enable remote wiping |
| 5. Fake downloads and ads | Tricks you into downloading malware like ransomware on your device | Don’t click even if the ad is really good and keep anti-malware up to date |
| 6. Old-system vulnerabilities | Enters your computer or network through vulnerabilities that aren’t patched | Update your operating system (OS) so you get all the current patches, OS versions and apps |
| 7. Keylogging | Figures out your login credentials for your accounts by tracking your keystrokes | Use updated anti-malware and a password manager so you don’t need to use keystrokes when logging in |
| 8. Fake apps | Tricks you into downloading apps that are really malware | Double-check the logo and reviews to avoid imposters (Google Play isn’t perfect at vetting apps yet) |
| 9. Password hacking | Finding your passwords online or on your device or getting them through brute force | Change default passwords immediately and all passwords regularly and use a password manager |
| 10. Facebook phishing | Gaining access to your information by friending you or impersonating other friends who you trust | Don’t accept friend requests from people you don’t know or who you’re already friends with and don’t log in on public devices |
Leapfrog is all about keeping you away from the top 10 hacker scams and helping you stay secure when using technology, but the last thing we want is to slow you down. We help organizations avoid scams and worse through our managed services, security and compliance solutions, software training and our incredibly smart help desk staff who help clients troubleshoot any (and we mean any) technology problems they might be having.
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