Introduction
Online bingo has provided us with an unthinkable amount of convenience and accessibility –– all you need is a smart device and Internet access and you’re good to go. Whilst it’s all fun and games, it can be easy to get wrapped up in the heat of the moment and overlook the importance of security for online gambling.
Unfortunately, we all know someone that has become a victim of the Internet –– be it from a computer virus, having their account hacked, or even having their sensitive information compromised. As wonderful as the Internet may be, it can be a very dangerous place, especially for those who are unaware of its loopholes. With this in mind, we’ll be sharing some crucial tips for you to ensure that your online bingo experience is as secure as possible.
Do Not Give Out Unnecessary Personal Information
The revelation of one’s personal information is usually exploited by hackers. With such advanced search engines that exist today, all it takes is a tiny bit of personal information for hackers to find out a whole lot about you –– where you stay, where you work, who you usually hang out with, and more.
You guys might play online bingo together often, but if you have never met them in real life, you should never reveal your private details. Once they know your birthdate, your maiden’s name, or even your pet’s name, this might create an opening into your passwords and accounts. Other than that, all relevant personal information, such as your real name, email address, phone number, and information about your family should be kept to yourself. You’d never know if the other parties have hidden agendas; be smart about what you say.
Conduct Your Research
With such a plethora of online bingo sites available, research is the key to deciphering which ones are legitimate, and which are not. It’s all too easy to begin depositing money into a dodgy site, but once they’ve taken your money, it will be too late for regrets. To avoid signing up and incurring unnecessary losses, you have to do your research.
Firstly, and most importantly, make sure that the bingo site is licensed –– which certifies that it is from a legitimate and legal company. Such details can often be found at the bottom or right corner of the online page. You might want to check the legitimacy of the bingo site’s other contact details, such as their social media platforms and credit card information are correct before proceeding.
Be Aware Of Security
Site Security
Aside from checking for site legitimacy, you should ensure that the site is secure as well. To start, your website should begin with an ‘HTTPS’, and have a green lock symbol on the left-hand corner of your search bar. This indicates that your connection is secure which prevents hackers from easily obtaining any payment information.
Password Protection
Next, you should ensure that your password is secure and difficult to guess -– so no, you should not include the personal information that you’ve publicly posted about. This includes your pet name, favorite singer, or your birthdate. If your password is easy to guess –– such as password123 or facebook99, then it’s time to change it. Moreover, we strongly recommend not using the same password that you use for other general accounts outside of online bingo. Having different variations of your password for different accounts would prevent all of them from being compromised if one of your accounts is unfortunately hacked. That being said, don’t ever save your password on the site by clicking the Remember Me option, especially if you’re sharing a computer with someone else. Even if you have a private laptop, it’s better to be safe than sorry –– it only takes less than a minute to log in!
Monetary Transactions
When performing money transactions online such as depositing money into your bingo account, make sure that your payment methods are secure. Generally, payment methods through banks or established payment apps can be trusted. Again, be sure to do your research first.
Contact Details
Lastly, you might want to note down the contact details listed on the website and test out the services to make sure that the bingo site can be accountable if anything goes wrong. Spend some time to find trusted and reliable sources that you can count on. The last thing you probably want is to become a victim of one of those online scams.
Scams And Phishing Emails
Whether it’s happened to you or to someone you know, email scams have undoubtedly been on a rise. These scams or phishing emails generally consist of someone trying to hard-sell you to purchase a particular item, asking you for your bank information, or even trying to probe out some general information. For example, you might have received an email regarding a lucrative payment or insurance you’ve ‘suddenly’ been put onto, or a supposed email claiming to be a loved one asking for monetary donations. Unfortunately, even the most avid Internet users can fall prey to such elaborate scams, because of how realistic some of them may appear to be. Furthermore, differentiating between a bingo scam email can be equally as tricky, as most use the correct bingo logo which gives an appearance of legitimacy and officiality.
There are several key discrepancies to note within phishing emails. First, the sender’s address will look suspicious, there will be spelling and grammatical errors throughout the email, and they will not address you by name (at least in the first email). Plus, an official government agency or bingo site will never ask you for your personal information, such as bank details, debit/credit card pins, identification card numbers. If you still feel confused, you can always call up the bingo site’s support team to double-check on the ‘claims’ the hacker is supposed to be making.
Be Aware of Your Spendings
Typically in scam bingo sites, new players often find themselves on a winning streak. This strategy incentivizes the players to spend more in hopes of winning more money. If you are in a similar situation and find that it might be too good to be true, do more research to find out whether the site that you’re on is a scam, or maybe it could just be beginner’s luck.
Additionally, it’s good practice to give the site’s terms and conditions (T&C) a read. As tiresome as that might sound, understanding the fine print can aid you greatly in the long run. For example, some sites may require demanding wagering requirements before any withdrawals –– even if you’ve had a big shoot.
Finally, we encourage you to set a spending budget before jumping right into the games. Be disciplined and control your funds well. Otherwise, it is easy to get caught up in all the promotions and winnings and find your spending habits out of control.
Install An Antivirus Software
If you’re playing online bingo with a computer, chances are that you’re using this for other work as well. If your computer gets hacked or infected with spyware from scam sites, this may cause your entire computing system to be compromised, and result in you losing all your data. As such, it’s important to protect your system with antivirus software that is designed to protect from viruses and malware.
Conclusion
Although online bingo is undoubtedly a fun experience for all, one’s safety on the Internet should never be taken for granted. We hope that our tips and tricks have provided you with several sure-fire methods to practice safe gambling, as much as possible. Furthermore, we hope that you’ve gained some information about the happenings online, which serve as grim reminders of not taking care of your digital presence. If something feels out of place, trust your instincts and act accordingly immediately.
