Starting college means new opportunities but also new risks online. From shady apps offering “rewards” to suspicious links in your inbox, scammers know how to target students who are busy, trusting, and often looking for freebies and deals. These quick tips will help you spot red flags, protect your devices, and keep your personal information safe on campus.

At school tips and tricks

• Beware of downloading new apps 📲
  • Start ups are common on and around university campuses, many will give you rewards for downloading or signing up for their app
    • Be careful downloading something new to your phone, make sure they are a legitimate business and only download from trusted app stores 
• Caution when clicking on links 🔗
  • With new emails and university accounts, be careful when opening emails and messages
  • Scammers send messages with links to hack your devices and steal your information
    • Check the email or number to make sure they are within your university or are a reputable company 
    • If you have a bad feeling about a link – trust your gut, do not click it! 
• Is anything really free? 💰
  • Every college student loves free food, drinks, and other items, but watch out when giving your phone number, email, or scanning QR codes
    • Make sure they are a real student org or a reputable company  

How to keep up with cyber safety

• If you have a gut feeling something is wrong, it usually is
• Make sure to keep your phone and computer up to date, it prevents hackers from accessing your devices as easily
• Think before you click, check for misspellings and other shady stuff
• If you do click on a suspicious link, do not type any passwords in, disconnect from the Internet, and do a malware scan

If it’s on your university email, immediately contact the school’s IT department and ask for help

Stay Safe! Stay #CyberFlexed!