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Are you looking to protect yourself from the increase in online scams?
Using one of the best VPNs can be a highly beneficial tool, especially when it comes to protecting your privacy — blocking fraudsters from stealing your passwords and other personal online account information from virtually anywhere.
There has been quite an increase in online attacks. Most recently, fraudsters have been seen hiding malware in your TV streaming apps. Thousands of Google Chrome users just had their passwords stolen, too.
With so many different fraud attempts out there, we’ve compiled a handy guide to explain which types of scams to be wary of and how to help prevent bad actors from taking advantage of your information.
Here's everything you need to know about how some of the best cheap VPNs or even best free VPNs can best protect you from the next big online scam attempt.
Online scams continually evolve to try to trick you into paying money, handing over valuable information, and even stealing your data, but the help of a VPN can protect you from several of them
| SORA | GB NEWSTypes of online scams
Online scams continually evolve to try to trick you into paying money, handing over valuable information, and even stealing your data.
Many can involve impersonation attempts, where fraudsters pretend to be a friend or family member on the other end of their call or message to coax you into handing over your information. With the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, this has made these attempts have become significantly harder to spot.
Other attempts involve the rise in sextortion scams, where an email is sent to you, claiming they have recorded you on your webcam while you were on adult sites. They often include an old password of yours from a data breach to prove they have "hacked" you.
There are even phishing attacks where hackers pretend to be another company or website to get you to click a link and hand over passwords or other personal information.
Technical scams are another tactic that takes place while using public WiFi. Scammers can set up fake WiFi hotspots in airports or cafes. If you connect to them, they can see everything you type. There are also online scam ads and pop-ups that pretend you have a virus, which could lead to over-the-phone scams.
A new type of scam that has recently become popular has been dubbed Quishing, where scammers stick fake QR codes over real ones on parking meters, restaurant menus, or charging stations. Scanning takes you to a fake payment site that steals your card info.
How to avoid online scams
In order to attempt to avoid each of these different attempts, it’s important to have a digital checklist of tools to prevent scammers from succeeding.
These involve having multi-factor authentication toggled on for all of your accounts, using a password manager, and having one of the best VPNs on hand, such as ExpressVPN.
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How a VPN and password manager can help protect from online scams
A VPN helps protect you from more technical online scams, such as "Man In The Middle" attacks that occur over public WiFi. This occurs when a hacker monitors an unsecured network to see your passwords or bank details as you type them into your browser.
Many VPN providers also offer password manager services that can generate unique passwords to help prevent your accounts from being easily accessed. ExpressVPN, for instance, offers both of these services.
ExpressVPN is an award-winning VPN with gongs from the likes of Techradar, CNET, and Tom's Guide, with praise for its servers dedicated to fast, reliable streaming from anywhere in the world.
It also comes with ExpressKeys, a password manager that helps store passwords and protect data with zero-knowledge encryption across all your devices – protecting your passwords in case they get compromised.
Monthly prices start from £1.99 a month, and unlock ExpressVPN across up to 14 devices. Once installed, connect to a UK server from ExpressVPN's network of over 3,000 servers across 105 countries.
Protect your online activity with a subscription to ExpressVPN
Protect your personal information and encrypt everything you do online for just £1.74 with the latest ExpressVPN deal. This blockbuster sale trounces NordVPN, its biggest competitor.
ExpressVPN adds military-grade encryption across up to 10x devices, including iPhone, Android, Linux, Windows, Mac, Fire TV, and dozens more, to secure your internet traffic from prying eyes, advertisers, and governments. You'll benefit from an extra 4 months free with a two-year plan
ExpressVPN
$9.99
$1.74
The service uses proprietary Lightway protocol for enhanced speed and reliability, ensuring smooth streaming of festival performances.
The service works across all your devices - Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, smart TVs and streaming devices like Fire TV Stick. You can even use ExpressVPN's MediaStreamer feature to watch on devices that don't normally support VPNs, such as PlayStation or Xbox.
ExpressVPN includes a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to watch the entire festival risk-free and recover your investment if you're not satisfied with the service.
VPNs are not illegal and are often mandated by companies to improve online security for employees. However, it's your responsibility to ensure that you're using these popular apps for legal use. Always check the terms and conditions of the streaming service.
Virtual Private Networks, like ExpressVPN, mask your real location by routing traffic through servers in different countries, tricking services into thinking you're elsewhere | EXPRESSVPN PRESS OFFICE Benefits of ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is particularly well-suited for streaming as it boasts VPN server locations in 105 countries, providing access to global coverage.
It offers ultra-fast speeds on a 10-Gbps network, essential for high-quality streaming without buffering. With military-grade encryption, a strict no-logs policy, and features like split tunnelling and a kill switch, your online activity stays private.
Based in the British Virgin Islands — outside Five Eyes jurisdiction — it avoids mandatory data retention laws, which means that even if the company were collecting data (it's not), law enforcement from the UK and US would be unable to compel ExpressVPN to hand over any information about its subscribers.
ExpressVPN supports a wide range of devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, smart TVs, and routers. There's no limit on the number of ExpressVPN apps that you can download on your devices, and with a single subscription, you can connect to the VPN on 10x gadgets at once.
It also has a dedicated team that optimises the service for major streaming platforms. Round-the-clock customer support is available if you encounter any issues during race weekend.
ExpressVPN isn't the cheapest VPN. However, its 30-day money-back guarantee makes it a risk-free choice for privacy-conscious users and frequent streamers. It should also give new customers the confidence to subscribe to one of its longer contracts, which unlock the biggest discounts.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is software that protects and anonymises everything you do online. | UNSPLASH What is a VPN?
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is software that protects and anonymises everything you do online. VPNs can conceal your online activities by routing traffic through an encrypted tunnel that connects to secure servers worldwide.
The most reliable cheap VPNs or even free VPNs employ the same encryption standard as governments in the United Kingdom and the United States, ensuring that even your Internet Service Provider (ISP) connected to Wi-Fi cannot record the websites you visit, the duration of your sessions on each site, or your current location. This protection extends to advertisers, trackers, and hackers, preventing them from monitoring your online behaviour.
Furthermore, personal information entered into online forms and sensitive data transmitted to and from your device will be safeguarded from hackers using strong encryption provided by a VPN.
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