Many of us do our banking online these days. You may send and receive money online. You do not want those details to fall into the hands of scammers and thieves. So: be careful out there.

Use strong passwords, especially when it comes to banking and money. That can be a pain – how do you dream them up and remember them? One easy recipe is to use a word or two in a language not English combined with numbers, like 1Lock2Securely! in isiZulu for your banking login.

Watch out for phishing. That means that you receive a message, which looks legitimate, asking you to click on a link. That link then downloads a virus onto your device, which can give the sender access to your accounts and passwords without you being any the wiser.

Banks always warn that they will not request your PIN in an email. Do not provide it, even if the email looks legitimate.

Be careful about the personal information you give out on social media. You will not tell any stranger at a party your most personal stories – why put them on social media? Remember, it is out there forever.

For the same reason, resist the temptation to send sex videos or naked selfies. Relationships go sour and people turn nasty. What if they forward it to a WhatsApp group?

Dating apps are fertile hunting grounds for bad guys, both male and female. Don’t tell the sexy stranger things that will make you vulnerable. They may be catfishing, in other words it may be a false profile set up to start a “relationship” and then trick you out of money; or to charm you into a meeting where you will not be safe. Keep your distance. Make the first meeting in a crowded place in broad daylight. Never send money for a bus ticket to come and visit or for any other reason. Get to know them in the real world first.

When you buy online, you have to give credit card or banking details – exactly what the scammers are looking for. Make sure that you only buy from secure sites. One indication is an address that starts with https: rather than only http:. The S stands for secure. Secure sites may also be marked by a padlock icon next to the address.