THE LATEST SCAMS

BEWARE! GUARD YOUR WHEREABOUTS says fraud expert James Walker

Lots of software and mobile apps share location data to help you have the best experience online, but you could be making yourself vulnerable.

Geolocation scammers can take advantage of technology and data they access via GPS, an IP address, Wi-fi network and mobile phone signal to determine either your location or the location of a device. By knowing a person’s real-time location or predictable routines, criminals can exploit this information. For example, burglars could target homes when they know the residents are away, or stalkers could use location data to harass or harm their victims.

What can you do?

Hiding your physical location on the internet involves taking multiple precautions to minimise the exposure of your real whereabouts. While it’s challenging to completely hide your physical location, there are ways you can significantly enhance your privacy and make it more difficult for others to track where you are.

Many applications and websites request permission to access your location data. Review and manage the location settings on your devices and selectively disable geolocation services for apps that don’t require them.

When not in use, disable Wi-fi and Bluetooth on your devices, as they can potentially leak location information.

Be cautious: avoid sharing unnecessary location details on social media platforms, public forums or websites. Check your privacy settings on apps such as Facebook, and limit the visibility of your personal information to trusted individuals or contacts, rather than

making them public.

Extra security online

Look into setting up a virtual private network (VPN) online. This masks your IP address and makes it appear as if you’re browsing from a different region, helping to conceal your real location. Or use the Tor browser, which works like a regular browser but focuses on privacy protection. It will hide your location, IP address and other identifying data.