Stay ‘scam safe’ in 2026

2026 is scheduled to be a lot of things for a lot of people. For some, it’ll be the year they get married. For others, it’s the year they put certain patterns, behaviours or mistakes to rest. It may be about setting boundaries or ambitious goals. People think a lot about the changes they’d like to make in their lives and usually, finances, health, wellness and relationships are at the top of those lists.

Resolutions serving these causes are fantastic and goals to strengthen these areas are admirable. But we should also be aware of threats. Threats that target us daily without us even knowing. These threats come through our social media feeds, our apps, our emails and other online behaviour. They’re insidious, consistent and unrelenting. Often, we don’t notice them. Our software blocks them, our security settings fend them off, or our brains warn us that clicking that link just doesn’t seem right. Once in a while, though, we see something that catches us off guard. We may be tired, we may see something convincing or new and we may not be up to date on the fraudsters and scams targeting our area.

This year, it’s time to make a new year’s resolution to stay scam safe. This involves a proactive effort to research new and prevalent scams that are getting even society’s brightest to bite. You can find scams on ScamTracker or read through the latest articles on BBB.org. It’s also wise to take some time to update your passwords. Create unique passphrases with special characters for your accounts. Where possible, turn on two-factor authentication and visit the “security” section of your email to see if any threats have been detected or devices you don’t recognize are currently using your account. If you do see any, you can log them off. It’s imperative to then change your password. It’s also a good idea to check your “forwarding” settings to see if any scammers have set up your email to automatically forward to theirs. Again, if you see any email address you don’t recognize, immediately delete it and change your password.

It’s important to exercise the same vigilance with social media. Visit your account settings and look for any unfamiliar information. Set up two-factor authentication to avoid losing your account. And scroll safely. Scammers are able to run ads on a variety of social media platforms. Photos and links look legitimate, taking the user to sophisticated-looking websites. Many people have fallen victim by clicking an ad for that perfect set of boots, the latest influencer-backed soft drink or even lawn care products. Social media is dangerous because your algorithm will serve you the exact type of products you’ve been proven to like. Those products can be real or fake. Be sure to shop with trusted retailers and to back out of any links you’ve followed from social media. Find the company independently online and see if they’re offering the same advertised deal. Some scammers are very good at mimicking reputable brands.

2026 holds lots of promise. Taking these small steps to stay scam safe will help protect the wellness, financial stability and relationships you hope to nurture this year.