The best VPN may be no VPN, and other digital security truth bombs
The idea is to stop spammers from scooping up your email address.
Sorry. This spam-fighting trick doesn’t work. At all. You are not fooling crooks.
If you’re using this technique for your email address, you can stop. But my point is bigger than this one ineffective hack.
This piece of anti-spam fiction is an example of the digital self-protection myths that drain your time and energy and make you less safe. Today, let’s kill off four privacy and security bogus beliefs, including that you need a VPN to stay safe online. (No, you probably don’t.)
I’ll also remind you of better ways to fend off the criminals trying to steal your money or data.
Let me also add my standard line: It’s exhausting to be a human on the internet. Companies and public officials could be doing far more to protect you.
Myth No. 1: Stop spammers by writing out “at” and “dot” in your email address.
Claps to my colleague Andrew Van Dam, who asked me if this anti-spam trick worked. In case you skipped the paragraphs up there: Nope, it doesn’t.
Digital security experts told me that bad guys can use software to easily translate your “at” and “dot” into a regular old email address.
Stop trying to beat scammers [at] their own game.
Myth No. 2: Digital criminals are dumb.
I mock the pathetic emails and texts I receive that are obvious scams. Oh, really, Oprah is texting me a “secret way to lose that gut”??!!
But do not underestimate spammers and scammers. Crime is a big business. The Federal Trade Commission said it received 2.8 million fraud reports in 2021 with reported losses of more than $5.8 billion. That’s likely an undercount. (You can report scams or other fraud to the FTC here.)
Most crooks are savvy about exploiting your fear, greed and hunger for connection.
Scammers might win your trust over weeks or months on LinkedIn or a dating app before asking…