Scams are occurring more and more through the internet and email. Cybercriminals are coming up with new ways to fool people.
Online scams has been a problem since the early days of the internet. The COVID-19 pandemic has provided scammers with new opportunities to defraud consumers.
Scams are occurring more and more through the internet and email. Cybercriminals are coming up with new ways to fool people.
Today, fraud has also accelerated and grown even more sophisticated due to the rise of e-commerce, mobile payments and computing power, so be alert anytime you are on the web.
The ultimate goal of scammers is money, and there is nothing they won’t do to accomplish their mission.
Here are some common scams or popular techniques employed by malicious actors to get unauthorised access to our personal information and financial data.
Common scams
Online influencer scams
This type of scam involves creating fake social media accounts that pretend to be the influencer, holding a contest and asking the winner to pay a fee or provide their bank account details to get their prize.
Never send bank information or money to anyone you do not know.
Phishing emails
Here, the threat actors impersonate legitimate organisations via email, text message, advertisement or other means to steal sensitive information. Once you take the phisher’s bait, they can use the information to create fake accounts in your name, steal your money or even your identity.
To protect yourself from phishing scams, always practice safe email protocol. Use complex and varied passwords across your accounts.
Online shopping scams
Today everyone does online shopping as it saves time. Here, the website you purchase might seem legitimate selling items at a considerable discount. However, the item you have ordered never reaches you, and the fraudsters have your personal and card details.
Whenever you do online shopping, be sure to research the company, and too many positive reviews can be a red flag.
Job scams
There are many job vacancies available on the internet today. Be wary of jobs that ask you to pay money for training. Never provide personal data or share your card details without thoroughly investigating.
Dating and Romance scams
These fraudsters try to win the person’s heart and then make an effort to get the victim’s money as well. They often claim to need the money due to a personal emergency or a plane ticket to visit the victim. If the person will not want to video chat or meet in person, that's a huge warning sign.
Robocall scams
In these scams, fraudsters pose as government agencies or charities entities that people are likely to trust with personal or financial information. Older people are more targeted to such types of scams.
Never pick calls from unknown numbers, and the filter app lets you filter out unknown numbers.
Holiday frauds
Here, the fraudsters target online holiday booking and accommodation sites to scam unsuspecting customers to pay for accommodation that is not available or does not exist.
Victims become aware that they are scammed only after arriving at the destination and find no booking made.
Bogus pop-up security warnings
A bogus pop-up warns users that their system has been infected by a virus and directs them to instantly download security software. This scam aims to make money by tricking the victim into purchasing rogue software.
Once installed, the software takes control of the victim's computer, where it can dig into your private stored information.
Always protect your computer with genuine antivirus software from a reputable security firm.
Signs that show it is a scam
- Scammers pretend to be from a known organisation.
- Scammers say there is a prize or a problem.
- Scammers urge you to act instantly.
- Scammers ask you to pay in a specific method.
What can you do to avoid scams?
- Never send your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect.
- Do not open suspicious pop-up windows, texts or click on links or attachments in emails.
- Always keep your personal information secure.
- Be wary of unusual payment requests.
- Always use complex, solid and varied passwords across your accounts.
- Never share your passwords, banking PINs or SMS verification code with anyone.
- Turn on multi-factor authentication on your accounts.
What to do if you are scammed?
If you think you have been scammed, instantly change your passwords, delete any questionable software, contact your bank and file a complaint at your local police department.
Most people have become dependent on the internet for shopping and bill payments. So, you must try to adapt to technological changes quickly and become more attentive about using digital platforms. Scammers are not running anywhere, but you can beat them by being more disciplined about online transactions.
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