Google has these 6 safety tips for you to stay safe from online fraud 

Google gives online safety tips

With quickly proliferating online scams that can fool even the cybercrime-aware netizens, it is always a good thing to learn about the latest online safety measures. Google has come out with some safety tips for users to stay safe against fraud and scams. Here are six online fraud-prevention tips from the American search engine giant.

1. During major events like festivals/religious celebrations and the holiday season, Google advises users to “make purchases or donations only through established platforms and official event organizers”. Users must “verify charitable appeals through official channels”, Google said in a press statement. They should check URLs before clicking on unfamiliar links and get more information by clicking on “About the source” result (the three dots next to a search result)
2. Google advises netizens to “be wary of any investment advice that seems to come from celebrities or business leaders, especially on social media”. “Watch for unnatural facial movements or expressions in videos – these can be signs that the content is fake. Be extremely cautious of any investment opportunity that promises unusually high returns or seems too good to be true – it's likely a scam”, the search engine giant noted in the press statement.
3. “Always verify the website you're on before making purchases. Be especially careful during major sales events – check the URL carefully, look for signs of legitimate security features, and be wary of unusually low prices or urgent time pressures”, said Google. Make use of Google's ‘About this’ result feature to verify the websites. Users can find advertiser information such as their name or location by going to the ‘My Ad Center’ and report a bad ad.
4. As the next safety tip, Google adds that you should “never give anyone remote access to your device based on an unsolicited call or message. Legitimate companies won't contact you first about technical problems – if you need support, always reach out through the official website or phone number of the company you want to contact. You can increase your security by enabling 2-Step Verification (2SV), passkey or password manager”.
5. Alerting users about fake jobs online, Google warns them to “be cautious of job offers that seem too good to be true or require handling money transfers. Legitimate employers won't ask for payment during the hiring process or require you to use your personal accounts for business transactions. Always verify job opportunities through official company websites and channels. About this result can give you more information about the online source”.
6. Google advises people to “only get loans from licensed financial institutions and official banking apps". "Be very suspicious of loan apps that require access to your contacts, photos, or location – legitimate lenders don't need this information. If an app offers instant approval with minimal documentation, it's probably a scam. If you find an issue with an app or review on Google Play, you can flag it to our team”, noted Google in the press statement.