First, here’s the bad news: There is no such thing as complete safety. If you think you are safe, then it is more illusion than reality. If you refuse to try anything that will leave you exposed to the risk of being taken advantage of or getting hurt, though, then you will never try anything new.
The fact is, life is messy and dangerous. Nothing worth having comes without risk. Once you have it, rest assured that someone else wants it, and will do almost anything to get it. You are always in the most danger when you fail to realize how much danger you are in. The price of both freedom and safety is always eternal vigilance.
In the digital world, everything can be weaponized. Apple invented AirTags to help people find things they lose. However, thieves are now using these AirTags to steal cars. Nothing is sacred. It can all be exploited. Items that you buy for security, convenience, health, or entertainment can, will be, and have already been hacked. That you might die from their tampering does not concern hackers in the least. They commit crimes against humanity without heart or conscience. You are not safe. And that’s the truth. That said, you can be a lot safer than you are and reduce your risks to a minimum with the following.
Use Electronic Parcel Lockers
You have heard the stories of packages getting stolen right off of porches. Sometimes, the thieves are dressed in the outfits of delivery drivers. But make no mistake about it: They are not there for a delivery, but for a withdrawal. The holiday season is a big season for porch pirates because so many packages are dropped off by Amazon, UPS, and FedEx, even those who ordered the packages have a hard time remembering what packages they ordered.
By using electronic parcel lockers, you can stop worrying about whether your package is late or stolen. If you have a local business, you should consider the inclusion of a few of these lockers because they can not only help reduce crime in your neighborhood, they give people a reason to stop by your shop. And as you already know, the more people in your shop, the more likely they will buy from you. For consumers and merchants, there are no downsides to these lockers. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain. The most important thing to be gained is a much safer neighborhood.
Don’t Click Or Call
Protect your banking data by not clicking on links in your email or calling phone numbers within your email. There are no exceptions to this rule. If you believe there is an issue with one of your accounts, go to your web browser and enter the URL in the address bar. If you click on a link from your email or messaging app, it could be a fraudulent link that looks legitimate. In fact, it might look identical to the real thing. But once you have input your credentials, a thief is there to take possession of your identity and your money.
One of the newest scams involves a notice thanking you for your purchase of some product you don’t remember buying, for some rather alarming amount. It might even be a subscription to something that will recur monthly. Naturally, you want to stop it and correct the error. Filled with unhelpful angst, you click on the link or call the number. It all goes downhill from there. Don’t get caught on the wrong end of a phishing line. Never click or call from an email or message.
Keep It In Your Pocket
Got a new iPhone for Christmas and want to show it off to the world? Don’t! When you get out and about, keep it in your pocket to the extent possible. They won’t know you have a shiny new iPhone if you don’t show it to them. That goes double for laptops and tablets. When you flash these resellable objects, you become a target. You can be much safer by reducing your profile as a desirable target to thieves.
You will never be completely safe. But you can greatly improve your safety by using parcel lockers, not clicking on email and message links, and keeping your valuables where thieves can’t see them.
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