How To Protect Your Phone From Hackers
Four steps to protect your phone from hackers.
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Online Privacy and Security | Consumer Advice
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Online Privacy and Security
Understanding online privacy, how to protect your devices from hackers and threats, and how to avoid common online scams.
Online Security
How To Remove Your Personal Information Before You Get Rid of Your Computer
How to remove your personal information from your computer so it doesn’t end up in the hands of an identity thief.
How To Remove Your Personal Information Before You Get Rid of Your Phone
Before you trade in, sell, give away, or recycle your phone, remove your personal information.
How To Secure Your Home Security Cameras
There are steps you can take to secure your home security camera. Read on to learn more.
Mobile Payment Apps: How To Avoid a Scam When You Use One
Learn how mobile payment apps work and how to avoid sending money to a scammer.
Securing Your Internet-Connected Devices at Home
Steps that can help protect your internet-connected devices.
Use Two-Factor Authentication To Protect Your Accounts
Use two-factor authentication to protect your accounts from hackers.
Online Privacy
How To Secure Your Voice Assistant and Protect Your Privacy
Here's what you can do to keep your voice assistant and recordings private and secure.
How Websites and Apps Collect and Use Your Information
Learn how and why websites track you — and what to do about it.
Nonconsensual Distribution of Intimate Images: What To Know
Did someone take or share an intimate image or video of you without your consent? Here’s information to help you decide what to do.
Stalkerware: What To Know
Do you think an abusive partner or ex is monitoring you through your phone? They might be using stalkerware to secretly track your device activity. Learn more about stalkerware, how to tell if it’s on your device, and what to do if it is.
What To Know About People Search Sites That Sell Your Information
Learn how people search sites work and how to ask them to stop selling your information.
Online Scams
How To Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams
Scammers use email or text messages to trick you into giving them your personal and financial information. But there are several ways to protect yourself.
How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams
Tech support scammers try to scare you into believing there’s a problem with your computer. They tell lies to get your financial information or remote access to your computer. Their goal is to steal your money, or worse, steal your identity.
What to Know About Romance Scams
Romance scammers create fake profiles on dating sites and apps or contact you through popular social media sites like Instagram or Facebook. The scammers strike up a relationship with you to build up trust, sometimes talking or chatting several times a day. Then, they make up a story and ask for money. Learn how to avoid romance scams.
Related Scams
From Consumer Alerts
Consumer Alert
How to help protect foster youth from identity theft
BCP Staff
Identity theft can happen to anyone, including kids in foster care. But minors typically don’t have credit reports, so they might not even realize they’ve experienced identity theft until they apply for a job, housing, or credit. Because foster youth often move more often and more people have access to their info, they’re at greater risk of identity theft. So if you’re a foster parent, a service provider, or know someone in foster care, read on for ways to help protect foster youth from identity theft.
Consumer Alert
Protecting kids and adults online
BCP Staff
It’s a good day for any federal or state government agency when they can say kids are safer, and today is that day for the Federal Trade Commission and the Utah Division of Consumer Protection. Together, they announced a settlement with Aylo, a collection of companies managing more than 100 porn sites (including Pornhub, YouPorn, and Redtube) over their distribution of child sex abuse materials, as well as non-consensual images and video.
Consumer Alert
Are you really out of Cloud storage or is that message a scam?
BCP Staff
You might get an email or text that seems to come from Apple, Microsoft, or Google, saying you’re out of storage. The message looks legit, and you might think there’s a chance you need more cloud space, but your scam-radar is going off. How can you be sure the link to upgrade isn’t a scam?
Consumer Alert
Money for Avast antivirus software users
BCP Staff
If you bought antivirus software from Avast between August 2014 and January 2020, you could be eligible for a payment from a recent settlement in the FTC’s lawsuit. Start by checking your inbox for an email about how to submit your claim by June 5, 2025.
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Phishing: Don't Take the Bait