Lack of digital spring cleaning could lead to tech scams

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Spring is a time of year when many people thoroughly clean their homes, however, the Better Business Bureau said it can be even more important to do some 'digital spring cleaning.'

The BBB describes digital spring cleaning as keeping track of your online presence to make sure your personal information is secure.

Michelle Gleba spokeswoman for the BBB said devices you use to shop, browse social media and work remotely usually need more attention than many people may think.

In order to avoid scams including, tech support scams or identity theft the BBB has recommendations to clean out your digital devices.

• Make sure passwords for business and personal accounts are lengthy, unique and safely stored
• Update your system and software
• If you have a built-in camera on your computer monitor, make sure it’s covered when not being used
• Protect your personal and workplace information by making backups of your most important files
• Check your privacy settings on all social media accounts

Nick Williams, the manager of U.S Cellular in Jefferson City said checking privacy settings are an important part of digital cleaning.

"So you can go into the privacy setting on your phone and see what apps have access to your contacts, to your location, and things of that nature," Williams said.

Unfortunately people tend to forget about cleaning out their digital lives, making it easier for tech scams or identity thefts to occur.

"I do see a lack of that, so we have a lot of customers that come in that have apps they haven't used since they first downloaded the phone but they still have them on their because its out of sight out of mind," Williams said.

In 2020, more than 1,400 tech support scams were reported nationwide to the BBB Scam Tracker.