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<h2>Where I See Cybercriminals Getting In</h2><p>Liverpool's a brilliant city to run a business or raise a family in, but it hasn't escaped the same wave of cybercrime hitting the rest of the country. I hear from people every week who assumed they were too careful, too switched on, or too small to be a target. None of that matters to a scammer running the same script against thousands of people at once. Cybercriminals aren't picking locks anymore, they're walking through doors people left open without realising it.</p><p><br></p><p>The threats I see most often around here aren't complicated. They're phishing emails dressed up as delivery notices, fake invoices sent to small business owners, and password reuse that turns one leaked account into five. Understanding where the real risk sits is the first step, and it's usually much closer to home than people expect.</p><figure id="figure-4fqmutu868mtal5k0z"><img id="4fqmutu868mtal5k0z" src="https://rjdavx8ozyznxeyh.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/production/websites/infinite-images/257d9ce0-5ea2-4930-81f1-a4ddb893b634-mkSAAopvku48RdfjaSX1cwlkhdx4Hw.png" alt="Hooded figure walking through a dark alley at night, representing the opportunistic cybercriminals targeting Liverpool residents and small businesses online" title="Hooded figure walking through a dark alley at night, representing the opportunistic cybercriminals targeting Liverpool residents and small businesses online" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-2xl md:rounded-3xl lg:rounded-4xl" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure><p><br></p><h2>Strong, Unique Passwords Are My Starting Point</h2><p><br></p><p>Every proper conversation about online safety starts here, because a weak or reused password is still the easiest way in. I've written before about the debate between using a <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/password-manager-vs-memory-liverpool" href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/password-manager-vs-memory-liverpool">password manager </a>and just memorising a few passwords, and my answer hasn't changed: use a password manager. I rely on <a data-mce-href="https://go.nordpass.io/aff_c?offer_id=488&amp;aff_id=131235&amp;url_id=9356" href="https://go.nordpass.io/aff_c?offer_id=488&amp;aff_id=131235&amp;url_id=9356" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NordPass </a>to generate and store mine, so I never have to reuse a password I can't quite remember across three different accounts.</p><p><br></p><h2>Two-Factor Authentication Isn't Optional Anymore</h2><p><br></p><p>A strong password is a good lock, but<a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/two-factor-authentication-liverpool" href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/two-factor-authentication-liverpool"> two factor authentication</a> is the deadbolt behind it. I turn it on for every account that offers it, especially email and banking, because it's the one habit that stops a stolen password from actually being useful to whoever's holding it. It adds ten seconds to my login. That's a fair trade for not having my accounts drained while I'm asleep.</p><p><br></p><h2>Watching Out for Phishing Scams</h2><p><br></p><p>I've covered the <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/phishing-defences-liverpool" href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/phishing-defences-liverpool">phishing defences I actually rely on </a>in detail elsewhere, but the short version is this: I check the sender address before I click anything, I never trust urgency, and I go directly to a company's website rather than clicking a link in an email claiming to be from them. If something ever does slip through, <a data-mce-href="https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/" href="https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Action Fraud</a> is where I'd report it.</p><p><br></p><h2>Keeping Software Updated Without Thinking About It</h2><p><br></p><p>Software updates feel like an interruption, which is exactly why so many people put them off. Most of them exist to patch a security hole that's already being exploited somewhere. I keep automatic updates switched on across my phone, laptop and router, so I'm not the one deciding whether today's a good day to leave a known vulnerability open.</p><p><br></p><h2>Locking Down My Home Network</h2><p><br></p><p>I've written a full walkthrough on<a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/home-network-security-liverpool" href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/home-network-security-liverpool"> securing a home network step by step</a>, but the essentials are worth repeating here: change the router's default login, use a strong separate wifi password, and set up a guest network for visitors and smart devices. When I'm working from a cafe or anywhere with public wifi, I run <a data-mce-href="https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=15&amp;aff_id=131235&amp;url_id=902" href="https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=15&amp;aff_id=131235&amp;url_id=902" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NordVPN </a>so my traffic isn't sat there in plain sight for anyone else on the same network.</p><p><br></p><h2>Educating Myself and Everyone Around Me</h2><p><br></p><p>The tools only get you so far. The habits are what actually keep you safe, and habits spread faster when you talk about them. I make a point of walking family, friends and clients through the basics rather than assuming they'll pick it up on their own, and I keep my own <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/toolkit" href="https://kellssecurity.com/toolkit">Safety Toolkit </a>updated with the tools and checklists I actually use.</p><p><br></p><h2>Final Thoughts</h2><p><br></p><p>Staying ahead of cybercriminals isn't about becoming paranoid or living without technology. It's a handful of habits, repeated consistently: a password manager, two factor authentication, a healthy suspicion of anything urgent in your inbox, and updates you don't put off. If you'd like a hand putting any of this in place, <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/contact" href="https://kellssecurity.com/contact">get in touch </a>and I'll talk you through it.</p>

How I Stay Ahead of Cybercriminals in Liverpool

<h2>Why These Scams Still Catch People Out</h2><p>I get messages most weeks from people in Liverpool who've been caught out shopping online, and the pattern is always the same. It's not that they were careless. It's that the scam was built to look exactly like the real thing, right up until the money had already left their account.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><h2>The Too Good To Be True Deal</h2><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>If a designer coat is eighty percent off on a site you've never heard of, that's not a bargain, that's bait. Scammers know a steep discount short circuits the part of your brain that would normally stop and check. My rule is simple: if the price makes me do a double take, I slow right down and look the seller up properly before I go anywhere near my card details.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><h2>Fake And Cloned Shopping Websites</h2><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>Some of the fake shops I've seen are genuinely convincing, right down to a copied logo and a stolen product description. What gives them away is usually in the details: no proper contact address, reviews that all appeared in the same week, or a checkout that redirects somewhere unexpected. I've written before about <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/safe-online-shopping-liverpool" href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/safe-online-shopping-liverpool">the payment habits that give me an extra layer of protection</a>, and they matter just as much here as anywhere else.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><h2>Marketplace And Social Media Scams</h2><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree are brilliant for picking up a bargain locally, but they're also where I see some of the messiest scams. Someone lists an item that doesn't exist, takes a deposit through a bank transfer, then disappears. If a seller pushes you to pay outside the platform's own system, or won't meet in a public place for something local, that's your answer.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><h2>My Quick Checklist Before I Buy</h2><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>Before I hand over any card details on a site I don't already trust, I check the URL is spelled correctly, I look for a returns policy that actually makes sense, and I search the shop's name plus the word reviews. I also try to shop on a secured connection rather than open public wifi, which is one of the reasons I use <a data-mce-href="https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=15&amp;aff_id=131235&amp;url_id=902" href="https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=15&amp;aff_id=131235&amp;url_id=902" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NordVPN </a>when I'm out and about. The same tricks ramp up <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/safe-christmas-shopping-liverpool" href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/safe-christmas-shopping-liverpool">every Christmas</a>, and<a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/delivery-scams-liverpool" href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/delivery-scams-liverpool"> fake delivery texts </a>are their own special headache once your parcel is actually on its way.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>None of this takes long once it's a habit. If you do get caught out, report it to <a data-mce-href="https://www.actionfraud.police.uk" href="https://www.actionfraud.police.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Action Fraud </a>and contact your bank straight away, the faster you move the better your chances. You'll find more of my practical advice on the <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/toolkit" href="https://kellssecurity.com/toolkit">Safety Toolkit </a>page, and if you want to talk through something that's happened to you, <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/contact" href="https://kellssecurity.com/contact">get in touch </a>and I'll help however I can.</p><figure id="figure-8c7wk3kr7amtaz8y3q"><img id="8c7wk3kr7amtaz8y3q" src="https://rjdavx8ozyznxeyh.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/production/websites/infinite-images/1a0389ac-aaf6-409f-be64-e1e6a0abd456-Zl4i3O4LWQBQOcrSO6lxbLXuowWfQE.png" alt="Macro close-up of digital payment card highlighting security chip and holographic anti-fraud features" title="Macro close-up of digital payment card highlighting security chip and holographic anti-fraud features" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-2xl md:rounded-3xl lg:rounded-4xl" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure>

The Online Shopping Scams I Warn Liverpool Shoppers About

Bright open-plan living and dining space with sectional sofa, wooden dining table, and people naturally inhabiting the modern furniture arrangement

<h2>Why I Keep Coming Back to the Basics</h2><p>People ask me for the clever tricks and shortcuts, but the basics do most of the work. Every scam I've helped someone untangle in Liverpool traces back to one of a handful of gaps: a reused password, a text clicked too quickly, a phone left unlocked, a software update ignored for months. None of it is complicated. It just needs doing, and doing consistently, by everyone in the house, not just whoever's most "into computers".</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><h2>Passwords and Two-Factor Authentication Come First</h2><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>If I could only fix one thing for a family, it would be passwords. Reusing the same one across every account is still the single biggest risk I see, because one leaked password unlocks everything else. I use a <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/password-manager-vs-memory-liverpool" href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/password-manager-vs-memory-liverpool">password manager </a>to generate and store a different one for every account, which sounds like effort but takes about thirty seconds once it's set up. <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/two-factor-authentication-liverpool" href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/two-factor-authentication-liverpool">Two factor authentication </a>is the second half of that, and I've written before about why I treat it as non-negotiable. Between the two, most of the accounts that get broken into around here simply wouldn't have been.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><h2>Teaching Kids (and Grown-Ups) to Spot a Scam</h2><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>I don't sit anyone down for a lecture. What works better is talking through real examples as they come up: the "delivery" text that wants your card details, the email pretending to be your bank, the message from a "friend" asking for money out of the blue. I've put together a proper guide on <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/spot-phishing-emails-liverpool" href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/spot-phishing-emails-liverpool">how I spot a phishing email before I click anything</a>, and I'll happily walk any family through it. The goal isn't paranoia, it's a habit of pausing for two seconds before you tap.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><h2>Keeping Devices and Software Up to Date</h2><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>Update notifications are annoying, I get it, but they're often patching a security hole that's already being used against people. I set devices to update automatically wherever I can, so nobody has to remember. On public wifi, especially anywhere in town, I'll use <a data-mce-href="https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=15&amp;aff_id=131235&amp;url_id=902" href="https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=15&amp;aff_id=131235&amp;url_id=902" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NordVPN </a>to keep the connection private rather than trusting an open network I don't control. It's a small habit that closes a door a lot of people leave wide open.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><h2>The One Habit That Ties It All Together</h2><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>If there's one thing I'd want every Liverpool family to take from this, it's that online safety isn't a single fix, it's a handful of small habits repeated until they're automatic. Start with passwords and two factor authentication, add the pause-before-you-click habit, and keep software updating itself in the background. For more of exactly this kind of practical advice, my <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/toolkit" href="https://kellssecurity.com/toolkit">Safety Toolkit </a>has everything in one place, and if you'd rather just talk it through, <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/contact" href="https://kellssecurity.com/contact">get in touch </a>and I'll help however I can. For anything trickier, the <a data-mce-href="https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/" href="https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Cyber Security Centre </a>is a solid place to check too.</p><figure id="figure-7tm78x8cfmtaztf0p"><img id="7tm78x8cfmtaztf0p" src="https://rjdavx8ozyznxeyh.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/production/websites/infinite-images/771630cf-9917-4419-ba78-bac83a10448d-SCb6pM6iMisXZzqELbQrTs0AdBK1uD.png" alt="Minimalist overhead view of organized workspace with notepad, smartphone, stylus pen, and coffee cup" title="Minimalist overhead view of organized workspace with notepad, smartphone, stylus pen, and coffee cup" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-2xl md:rounded-3xl lg:rounded-4xl" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure>

The Online Safety Basics I Make Sure Every Liverpool Family Knows

<h2>What I'm Actually Seeing Change Across Liverpool</h2><p>Ask anyone in Liverpool whether cybercrime feels closer to home than it did five years ago, and I'd put money on the answer being yes. I don't say that to alarm you, I say it because it's true and because the shape of the problem has shifted. It isn't just banks and government departments in the firing line anymore. It's the hairdresser on Bold Street taking bookings through an app, the family running a market stall from their phone, and the ordinary Scouser doing the weekly shop online from the sofa.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>Liverpool has grown into a genuine tech and digital hub over the last decade, and that's brilliant news for the city. More businesses online means more jobs and more opportunity. It also means more doors for criminals to try, which is the part nobody puts on the tourist board.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><h2>The Scams I'm Seeing Hit Local Businesses Hardest</h2><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>The pattern I see most often with small Liverpool businesses is invoice fraud. A criminal gets into an email account, watches quietly for weeks, then sends a fake invoice or a change of bank details message at exactly the moment a payment is due. It looks completely normal because it's sitting inside a real email thread. I've had clients nearly lose four figures to this exact trick, and the only thing that saved them was picking up the phone to double check before paying. If you want to know what these emails actually look like in the wild, I've broken it down properly in my guide to <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/spot-phishing-emails-liverpool" href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/spot-phishing-emails-liverpool">spotting a phishing email before you click anything</a>.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>Right behind invoice fraud is the fake courier text, the your parcel couldn't be delivered message that leads to a cloned payment page. I wrote a whole piece on the <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/the-online-shopping-scams-i-warn-liverpool-shoppers-about" href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/the-online-shopping-scams-i-warn-liverpool-shoppers-about">online shopping scams I warn Liverpool shoppers about</a>, and the delivery scam is still the one catching the most people out.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><h2>Why Small Businesses Are Still the Soft Target</h2><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>Here's the uncomfortable truth. Bigger companies have IT teams, security budgets, and someone whose entire job is worrying about this stuff. A hairdresser, a plumber, or a small online shop usually has none of that. They've got a laptop, a phone, and a to-do list a mile long. Criminals know this, and they treat small businesses as the easy option rather than the interesting one.</p><figure id="figure-77ikd8ul1emtb1goep"><img id="77ikd8ul1emtb1goep" src="https://rjdavx8ozyznxeyh.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/production/websites/infinite-images/1e296c72-fe96-4152-8041-ad2f87d3e563-yR1A127WqePJ6WQrR835Co1qiGKVTh.png" alt="Small Liverpool shop owner standing at her open shopfront, representing the independent businesses most exposed to cybercrime" title="Small Liverpool shop owner standing at her open shopfront, representing the independent businesses most exposed to cybercrime" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-2xl md:rounded-3xl lg:rounded-4xl" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>I put together a longer piece on<a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/how-i-stay-ahead-of-cybercriminals-in-liverpool" href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/how-i-stay-ahead-of-cybercriminals-in-liverpool"> how I stay ahead of cybercriminals in Liverpool </a>if you want the fuller picture, but the short version is that you don't need a security team to be well protected. You need a handful of habits done consistently, which is exactly what the next bit covers.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><h2>The Basics I Keep Coming Back To</h2><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>Whatever changes in the wider landscape, the fundamentals barely move, which is honestly good news because it means you don't need to relearn your entire approach every few months. A proper <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/password-manager-vs-memory-liverpool" href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/password-manager-vs-memory-liverpool">password manager</a>, not sticky notes or the same password everywhere, closes off the single biggest door criminals walk through. <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/two-factor-authentication-liverpool" href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/two-factor-authentication-liverpool">Two factor authentication </a>closes off most of what's left. If you're working from cafes, co-working spaces, or public wifi around the city centre, a VPN like <a data-mce-href="https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=15&amp;aff_id=131235&amp;url_id=902" href="https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=15&amp;aff_id=131235&amp;url_id=902" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NordVPN </a>keeps that traffic private on networks you don't control.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>None of this is complicated once it's set up, and I go through all of it, along with securing a home network, step by step over in the <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/toolkit" href="https://kellssecurity.com/toolkit">Safety Toolkit</a>.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><h2>Where I Think This Is Heading</h2><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>AI is going to make scam messages harder to spot, not easier, because the spelling mistakes and clunky phrasing that used to give the game away are quietly disappearing. That's the honest, slightly uncomfortable truth about where things are heading. The flip side is that the basics I've just covered still work regardless of how convincing the scam looks, because they don't rely on you spotting a fake, they rely on a criminal not being able to get in even if you do click the wrong thing.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>If you want a proper national view alongside my Liverpool-focused one, <a data-mce-href="https://www.getsafeonline.org/" href="https://www.getsafeonline.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get Safe Online </a>is a solid, independent resource worth bookmarking. And if you'd rather just talk it through with an actual person instead of reading another article, <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/contact" href="https://kellssecurity.com/contact">get in touch </a>and I'll point you in the right direction.</p>

What Liverpool's Cybersecurity Scene Actually Looks Like Right Now

<h2>The First Thing I Ask Every New Client</h2><p>When someone gets in touch with me for the first time, before we talk about anything fancy, I ask one simple question: what would happen if your phone got stolen right now. Most people go quiet for a second, and that pause tells me everything I need to know. It's not because people are careless, it's because nobody ever sits them down and walks through the basics properly. That's what this piece is for, the exact habits I ask every new client to put in place first, in the order I ask them to do it.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><h2>Passwords and Two Factor Authentication, Sorted Once</h2><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>The single biggest change I see in someone's security, and it usually takes under an hour, is moving to a proper <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/password-manager-vs-memory-liverpool" href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/password-manager-vs-memory-liverpool">password manager </a>like <a data-mce-href="https://go.nordpass.io/aff_c?offer_id=488&amp;aff_id=131235&amp;url_id=9356" href="https://go.nordpass.io/aff_c?offer_id=488&amp;aff_id=131235&amp;url_id=9356" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NordPass</a>. If you're reusing the same three passwords across your email, your bank, and your Tesco Clubcard account, one leaked password is all it takes for a criminal to try it everywhere else. A password manager fixes that in one go, and once it's set up you genuinely stop thinking about it. Right behind that comes <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/two-factor-authentication-liverpool" href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/two-factor-authentication-liverpool">two factor authentication </a>on your email account specifically, because your email is the recovery route into almost everything else you own online. If a criminal gets into your inbox, they can reset the rest.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><h2>Slowing Down Before You Click</h2><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>Most scams rely on speed. A text that says your parcel couldn't be delivered, an email that says your account's been suspended, a WhatsApp message from a family member needing money fast. They all want you to act before you think. The habit I try to build in every new client is a five second pause before clicking anything that creates urgency. That pause is where most scams fall apart, because the moment you actually look at the sender's address or the link underneath the button, the cracks show. I've written more on <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/spot-phishing-emails-liverpool" href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/spot-phishing-emails-liverpool">spotting this properly </a>if you want to go deeper.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><h2>Locking Down the Home Network</h2><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>Your router is the front door to everything else in your house that connects to the internet, and most people have never once changed its default settings. Renaming it, setting a proper password, and turning on the built in firewall takes about fifteen minutes and closes off a route into your home network that most people don't even know exists. I've put together a <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/home-network-security-liverpool" href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/home-network-security-liverpool">full walkthrough of the process </a>if you want to follow along step by step, and more habits like it are sitting in my <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/toolkit" href="https://kellssecurity.com/toolkit">Safety Toolkit</a>.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><h2>What I Tell People to Do This Week</h2><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>If you take nothing else from this, do these three things this week: get a password manager sorted, turn on two factor authentication on your email, and check your router's default settings haven't been left switched on since the day it arrived. None of it is complicated, and none of it needs a technical background, it just needs doing. If a company you've used ever has a data breach, the <a data-mce-href="https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/enforcement/" href="https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/enforcement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Information Commissioner's Office </a>keeps a public register of enforcement action, which is worth a look if you're ever unsure whether a company handled your data properly. And if you'd rather I just walk you through your own setup directly, <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/contact" href="https://kellssecurity.com/contact">get in touch </a>and we'll sort it together.</p><figure id="figure-6tclnnjvx9mtb1y5d2"><img id="6tclnnjvx9mtb1y5d2" src="https://rjdavx8ozyznxeyh.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/production/websites/infinite-images/3df22dd2-37fc-46a9-8e3c-78fde11322e5-BjnObez3hOFkKybIAdMEzLBdYdyNlh.png" alt="Hand turning a key in a Liverpool front door lock, representing simple home security habits" title="Hand turning a key in a Liverpool front door lock, representing simple home security habits" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-2xl md:rounded-3xl lg:rounded-4xl" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure>

The Liverpool Safety Habits I Tell Every New Client to Start With

<h2>Why Phishing Still Works So Well</h2><p>I get messages most weeks from people in Liverpool who've had a strange text, email or phone call that turned out to be a scam. Phishing isn't clever because the criminals are geniuses, it's clever because it plays on trust and urgency. A message that looks like it's from your bank, your delivery company or even HMRC catches people off guard because it looks so ordinary. That's the whole trick. It doesn't need to fool you forever, it just needs to fool you for the ten seconds it takes to click a link.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><h2>The Fake Delivery Text That Gets Nearly Everyone</h2><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>The one I see most often around here is the fake delivery text. Your parcel couldn't be delivered, click here to reschedule. It tends to land right when you're actually expecting a parcel from somewhere, which is no coincidence. Criminals send these out in huge batches knowing a decent chunk of people will be waiting on a delivery that week. Click the link and you're usually asked to pay a small redelivery fee, which is really just a way of harvesting your card details. If you weren't expecting a parcel, delete it. If you were, go straight to the courier's own website or app rather than tapping the link in the text.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><h2>The Bank Phone Call That Catches the Most People Out</h2><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>This one worries me more than any text message, because it doesn't rely on a dodgy-looking message, it relies on a confident voice on the other end of the phone. Someone calls claiming to be from your bank's fraud team, tells you there's suspicious activity on your account, and talks you through moving your money somewhere safe. Real banks will never ask you to transfer money to a new account to protect it, and they'll never ask for your full PIN or a one-time passcode over the phone. If you get one of these calls, hang up and ring your bank back on the number printed on your card, not a number the caller gives you. The <a data-mce-href="https://www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/" href="https://www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Take Five to Stop Fraud </a>campaign has some excellent guidance on exactly this kind of call, and it's worth five minutes of anyone's time.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><h2>How I Teach People to Spot the Fakes</h2><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>I always tell clients to slow down for ten seconds before clicking anything that creates a sense of urgency. Check the sender's actual email address, not just the display name sitting on top of it. Hover over links on a laptop to see where they really go before you click anything. And get comfortable using a <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/password-manager-vs-memory-liverpool" href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/password-manager-vs-memory-liverpool">password manager </a>properly instead of reusing the same one everywhere, because if one account does get compromised, a password manager stops the damage spreading to everything else you own. <a data-mce-href="https://go.nordpass.io/aff_c?offer_id=488&amp;aff_id=131235&amp;url_id=9356" href="https://go.nordpass.io/aff_c?offer_id=488&amp;aff_id=131235&amp;url_id=9356" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NordPass </a>is the one I recommend to clients who want something simple that just works. I also push <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/two-factor-authentication-liverpool" href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/two-factor-authentication-liverpool">two factor </a>authentication on every account that offers it, since it's one of the single biggest barriers you can put between a scammer and your accounts, even if they've already got your password. If email is more your worry than texts or calls, I've written a full guide on <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/spot-phishing-emails-liverpool" href="https://kellssecurity.com/blog/spot-phishing-emails-liverpool">spotting a phishing email before you click </a>that goes into far more detail.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><h2>What to Do If You've Already Clicked</h2><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p><p>If you've clicked a phishing link and entered any details, don't panic, but do move fast. Change the password on that account straight away, using a fresh, unique one this time. Contact your bank directly if you've entered any card details. Report it to <a data-mce-href="https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/" href="https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Action Fraud</a>, the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, which helps build the wider picture of what's hitting real people right now. And if you'd rather have someone walk you through locking everything down properly, <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/contact" href="https://kellssecurity.com/contact">get in touch </a>and we'll sort it together. There's more on spotting scams early sitting in my <a data-mce-href="https://kellssecurity.com/toolkit" href="https://kellssecurity.com/toolkit">Safety Toolkit </a>if you want to keep going.</p><figure id="figure-gldwqu9humtb2hiwo"><img id="gldwqu9humtb2hiwo" src="https://rjdavx8ozyznxeyh.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/production/websites/infinite-images/78d2abbf-93f0-4235-a7a4-ab39acfdfffc-8zmKZ64zxKUP9evaTQRdGrvtDsTmy6.png" alt="Worried woman wearing a headset, representing the fake bank fraud team phone calls scamming Liverpool residents" title="Worried woman wearing a headset, representing the fake bank fraud team phone calls scamming Liverpool residents" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-2xl md:rounded-3xl lg:rounded-4xl" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure>

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