Identity theft is commonly associated with offline activities, such as purse snatching, pickpocketing or dumpster diving. However, it can also happen online through malware attacks that capture information on your computer’s hard drive or by phishing scams that convince people to share sensitive data over email.
Nowadays, you don’t even have to leave your house and can play real money casino games on your PC or mobile device. But what steps should you take to protect yourself from online identity theft while playing at an online casino?
Make sure it’s a reputable casino.
There are hundreds of online casinos, Winbig7 for example, that operate legally under government supervision within the borders of their own countries. For example, when you sign up for a real money account in Singapore, verify that the government licenses the casino, so you know they are following strict internet gambling regulations.
Read online reviews about your chosen casino before signing up or leaving your personal information to help you make an educated decision. If there is no license posted on their website, steer clear and find a trusted online casino singapore-based site with strong security.
Use your computer’s firewall.
The first step towards protecting yourself from online identity theft is to secure the software that runs on your computer, otherwise known as an operating system or OS. To do this, you should always use a firewall and malware protection program, such as Windows Defender, which is a part of Windows or an antivirus program.
Take advantage of the two-factor authentication offered by the casino.
In addition to your username and password, some online casinos, Winbig7 for example, require you to submit another piece of information from your mobile device before they will allow access to your account. This is known as two-factor authentication and can be a random code sent to your email, a fingerprint scanner on your mobile device or a one-time password from an application on your computer.
Ensure that the two-factor authentication method you use is compatible with all of the devices you plan to play at online casinos with, and remember to check it before each gaming session.
Take advantage of the limited login sessions.
If a trusted online casino singapore-based site offers a feature that limits the number of times you can sign in to your account within a certain time frame, use it!
It is another layer of protection that will help keep thieves away from your information. Instead of trying to guess your password over and over again, they will move on to find an easier target.
Don’t claim your winnings until you have received them in your account.
If an online casino offers real money gambling on sports, poker or casino games, they will deposit the winnings into your account after you request a payout. If you receive funds via another method for security reasons, they will usually be held until you submit your personal information to activate the transfer.
Follow these security precautions by verifying that all casino winnings are in your account before claiming them so you can be sure they don’t slip away without you noticing.
Use prepaid cards at online casinos.
Credit or debit cards issued by national banks offer strong protection against identity theft, but it is still possible for the information to be stolen and used by a criminal.
This is another reason why prepaid cards, such as the ones offered by Visa and Mastercard that can only use funds from a specific account, are better than regular credit or debit cards. They’re not tied directly to your name and address. Such personal information does not need to be leaked online.
Don’t post about your winnings on social media.
When you first start playing at an online casino, your account is empty, and you are hoping to claim big wins of extraordinary size. But once you discover that gambling online can be fun and profitable, try not to overshare this information with friends or followers, so they do not become targets of online identity thieves.
Don’t overshare personal information on the internet.
Don’t post pictures that show your passport or other forms of identification, don’t use your real date of birth, don’t tell strangers your home address and always keep personal banking information to yourself. A little common sense can go a long way when it comes to protecting yourself from identity thieves online.
Use a strong password on every account you own.
When it comes to protecting your personal information, there is no such thing as being too safe. This means using a unique password for every internet service that you use and changing them once in a while.
Start with something simple like “password” and add a number to the start or end of it, so it becomes “password1,” and then change that password for something more complex by using a mix of lower case, upper case, numbers and symbols.
Don’t use the same passwords on multiple accounts.
Using the same password on two different online services from completely separate companies is dangerous because if one account is hacked, all of your other accounts will be compromised as well. Keep track of the passwords you use and try to mix them up, so you don’t have to remember more than a few different combinations at once.
Takeaway
Security is always a concern when playing at an online casino. With so much sensitive data being shared over email and through social media platforms, it’s easy to see why people are worried about identity theft.
The good news is that the steps mentioned above can help to protect yourself from this type of cyberattack while still enjoying the benefits of playing games like roulette or blackjack for free on your PC or mobile device.