These are not the sort of cookies you buy in shops or make at home, but Internet cookies.

When you access a website, it is likely to store snippets of information on your computer – this is usually to help the website work efficiently e.g. remembering which pages you have already seen and not having to get you to login for each page.  These snippets of information are called ‘cookies’.

There are “session” cookies and “persistent” cookies.

Session cookies  are automatically deleted when you leave the website but persistent cookies stay until a date set when the cookie was created.

Most cookies are perfectly safe, but some can be used to track you without your consent.

What Are Cookies Used For?

Personalization. This usually refers to customized advertising i.e. presenting adverts where either you have selected which subjects for the adverts or your browsing is tracked so they can try to pick adverts you might respond to.

is the main way cookies are used to personalize your sessions. You may view certain items or parts of a site, and cookies use this data to help build targeted ads that you might enjoy.

Tracking. Shopping sites use cookies to track items users previously viewed, allowing the sites to suggest other goods they might like and keep items in shopping carts while they continue shopping.

Tracking cookies track multiple visits to the same site over time. Some online merchants, for example, use cookies to track visits from particular users, including the pages and products viewed. The information they gain allows them to suggest other items that might interest visitors. Gradually, a profile is built based on a user’s browsing history on that site.

Persistent cookies are used to track whether a user is logged in and under what name. They also streamline login information, so users don’t have to remember site passwords.

Cookie Settings

• Find the cookie section — typically under Settings > Privacy.
• Click the boxes to allow cookies. Sometimes the option says, “Allow local data.”
• If you don’t want cookies, you can simply uncheck these boxes.

Removing cookies can help you mitigate your risks of privacy breaches. It can also reset your browser tracking and personalization.

If you have any experiences with these scams do let me know, by email.