6 Scary Smart Cybersecurity Tips You Need to Know

Date: October 1, 2025
Category: Fraud Education News

It makes sense that October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. After all, “spooky season” is the perfect reminder to dust off the cobwebs and refresh your cybersecurity skills. 

Scammers are sneakier and more convincing than ever. It’s enough to send chills down your spine — but don’t live in fear. You have the power to protect yourself, and it all starts with smart digital habits. 

Don’t fall for the latest tricks — treat yourself to these six cybersecurity tips: 

1. Keep Out the Creeps with Strong Passwords

A strong password is your first line of defense against scammers who want to creep into your accounts. Create strong, unique passwords for each account, and avoid reusing passwords. 

Protect Yourself: 

  • Use a complex combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols in your passwords. 
  • Consider using a “passphrase” — a sequence of words that also incorporates numbers and symbols for even greater security (e.g., Do t#e M0n5ter M@sh!).
  • Update your passwords every few months. 
  • Use a password manager to keep all your logins secure and avoid repeating passwords.

2. Make the Most of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) gives your accounts another layer of protection. Even if your password is compromised, MFA can stop hackers in their tracks by requiring an extra step, such as a one-time code, fingerprint or facial recognition.

Protect Yourself: 

  • Enable MFA wherever possible, especially for your online banking, shopping and email accounts. 
  • Avoid saving your financial information in any apps or online accounts that don’t have MFA options.

3. Stay Safe While Surfing or Shopping the Web

Using the free public Wi-Fi in a café or airport might be convenient, but it could come with a scary surprise. Public Wi-Fi networks are often unsecured. That means hackers could be lurking in the shadows, looking to steal your passwords and credit card numbers.

Protect Yourself: 

  • Avoid logging into your financial accounts or online shopping on public Wi-Fi networks. 
  • Use a personal hotspot or VPN for a secure connection on the go.

4. Spot the Signs of an Imposter

Imposters are everywhere, not just on Halloween night. Scammers can “spoof” Caller ID and email addresses to make it seem like you’re being contacted by a trustworthy source, like your credit union, credit card company, government agency or even your employer. 

Protect Yourself: 

  • Pause before you click, respond or share personal information. 
  • If you're unsure, contact the organization directly using a verified number.

5. Beware of New Cyber Scams

A new scam known as the 3-Phase Phantom Hacker scheme is targeting vulnerable seniors. 

This scam involves multiple contacts from scammers posing as familiar sources, such as tech support, financial institutions, law enforcement and government agencies. By using coordinated touchpoints to build a false sense of trust and urgency, scammers pressure their victims to act quickly without thinking things through.

Here’s one example of how it could unfold:

Phase 1: The victim gets a call, text, pop-up or email from a scammer posing as “tech support” asking to give them remote access to their computer. The scammer asks to view the victim’s bank accounts to “verify unauthorized charges.” In reality, they’re looking for large accounts to target. 

Phase 2: Next, the victim gets a second call from someone posing as their financial institution, stating that their account has been hacked. They advise the victim to move their money to a third-party account for “safekeeping” via wire transfer, gift cards or cryptocurrency. The scammer will use fear tactics, insisting the victim cannot tell anyone why they are transferring the money. 

Phase 3: The victim gets a third call from another scammer impersonating law enforcement or a government agency, backing up the previous claims. All together, it creates a convincing scenario that pressures victims into acting quickly and keeping everything a secret — the perfect recipe for a scary scam.  

Protect Yourself: 

  • Never grant remote access to your computer to someone you don’t know.  
  • If someone contacts you claiming there’s fraud on your account, hang up and call your financial institution directly. 

6. Don't Ghost Your Software Updates

When you get a reminder to update to the latest software, don’t ignore it! There’s nothing cybercriminals love more than outdated software, which can leave apps and devices vulnerable to hackers. 

Protect Yourself: 

  • Enable auto-updates for all your apps, even the ones you don’t use often.   
  • Update the operating system for your smart devices (phone, tablet, computer, watch, TV) whenever new versions are available.  

Don’t Be Spooked by Cyber Scams. We’re With You! 

Scammers are hard at work all year round — but so is Wright-Patt Credit Union® (WPCU®). As your caring financial partner, we’re always looking for ways to help you stay cyber smart and protect yourself from fraud. We’re here to help! 

For more helpful tips and reminders to stay vigilant against the latest fraud attempts, visit our Fraud Prevention page.