The internet serves as our gateway to a world rich in knowledge and opportunities, and we can hardly imagine our lives without it. However, we occasionally hear tragic stories of victims of online extortion, reminding us of the need for caution and awareness in this vast space.
With every advancement in security and protection technologies, new methods of hacking and deception emerge, placing a significant responsibility on internet users to maintain their safety and security.
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Practical tips to protect your family from common electronic fraud
In this article, we will highlight seven of the most common types of online fraud, how to recognize them, and how to avoid falling victim to them.
What are the types of scams on the Internet?
Suspicious ads
The internet is now more saturated with advertisements than ever before. We have become accustomed to seeing dozens of ads on various websites, and while many of them are reliable, some are highly deceptive. For example, you might find a job ad that asks for $10 to fill out an application form, or someone selling a PlayStation 5 who requests a down payment before shipping it to you. Some might even ask for the full price of the device upfront! Sure, you can do this if you are dealing with a trusted and well-known online store, but trusting a stranger? We strongly advise against it.
We always recommend dealing with trusted stores or individuals. Evaluate the situation with your mind, not your emotions; check customer reviews (and ensure there are enough of them to rule out the possibility that they are all fake) and consider the overall reasonableness of the situation. Specifically for jobs, never pay a single cent to apply for one. This principle applies to anything else on the internet.
So what are the signs of fake advertising?
- Request money for the application: Beware of any advertisement that asks you to pay money for filling out the application form or obtaining the service.
- Exaggerated offers: **If the offer made in the ad seems overly tempting, it is likely fraud.
- Suspicious requests: **Beware of any advertisement asking you to send sensitive personal information, such as passwords or credit card details.
- Suspicious personas: **If the person presenting the show seems suspicious or hesitant, they are likely a fraudster.
How to avoid fake ads?
- Credibility check: Before dealing with any ad, make sure that the site or source where it is published is reliable.
- Logical thinking: Evaluate the offer with your mind, not your emotion.Does the offer seem logical and convincing?Do not believe any offer that raises your doubts.
- Beware of haste: Do not rush to make any decision or send any personal information.Take your time to think and make sure the offer is correct.
- Consult specialists: If you are not sure about the validity of the offer, consult a specialist in the specific field.
Customer Service Scams
This type of scam has been around for a long time, yet many people, especially those who are not very familiar with the internet, still fall victim to it. If someone calls you claiming to be from customer service, there are a few things you should do: do not provide any personal information, try to transfer the call to a landline, and verify the number carefully. If they claim to be from a big company like Microsoft or Apple Or from a specific bank, payment company, or other, hang up immediately. If they send you a link urging you to take quick action because your device supposedly has viruses or some other issue, stay calm and ignore this nonsense completely.
So what are the signs of a scam call?
- Pretend to be an institutional figure: The caller may claim to be from the customer service of a large company such as Microsoft or Apple.Check the identity of the caller before giving them any information.
- Sudden request for personal information: Beware of anyone asking you for sensitive personal information, such as passwords or credit card details.
- Excessive pressure: A fraudster may try to pressure you to disclose your information or to take action quickly.
- Suspicious links: Beware of anyone who sends you a link and asks you to click on it.This link may lead to a hacked site that steals your data.
Fake messages
Fake messages often begin in a friendly and innocent manner, such as receiving a message from someone not in your contacts. This person might be a member of a shared WhatsApp group or someone who met you by chance and somehow got your number. The important thing is that you don't know their identity, yet you trust them due to their friendly approach, saying something like, "Hi [Your Name], I saw you at that event. How are you?" So far, everything seems fine, and there's no issue with replying to the greeting, unless the person sends you a strange link or talks as if they've known you for years. In this case, be cautious and do not click on any links or disclose personal information until you verify their identity.
Always try to let the stranger reveal their intentions first before sharing anything. Remember, we are not talking about conspiracy theories here; many scams start this way. If you're confident that you won't fall victim to this kind of deception, make sure to educate those you care about.
So what are the signs of fake messages?
- Strange link: If someone sends you a strange link, never click on it.
- Fake identification: If a person starts talking like they've known you for a long time, ask them to prove their identity.
- Tempting offers: If someone offers you an overly tempting opportunity, it's most likely a scam.
- Excessive pressure: If a person tries to pressure you to disclose your personal information or to send them money, refrain immediately.
Investment Scams
In the world of cryptocurrency, many scams rely on the same concept, based on the idea of FOMO, or "Fear Of Missing Out." Scammers will pressure you to take advantage of an opportunity that they claim is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, asking you for a specific amount of money, which they say they will invest in Bitcoin, for example, and return to you with multiplied profits. If you encounter such an offer, steer clear immediately and remember that get-rich-quick schemes are generally just illusions.
Phishing
One of the most common and widespread scams today is phishing. One of the most common methods involves the scammer creating a fake login page for a website and sending it to you. For example, the scammer might design a fake Facebook login page with fields for username and password, and then share it in groups or online. When a user enters their credentials on this fake page, which looks similar to the real one, the scammer can easily steal the account.
This is just a simple example of phishing, which can come in more complex and dangerous forms, especially if it involves banking information or PayPal accounts. The best way to handle such scams is to avoid clicking on any suspicious links and go directly to the original source. For instance, if you see the word "Facebook" in a link, search for Facebook on Google and log in through the usual method.
So what are the signs of phishing?
- Fake login pages: A fraudster may design a login page for a specific site, such as Facebook or bye Pal, and this page looks identical to the real page, but it is actually designed to steal your information.
- Misleading messages: The fraudster may send you an email or text message that appears to be from a trusted site or person, asking you to click on a link or enter your personal information.
- Tempting offers: The fraudster may offer you an attractive offer, such as a free prize or a big discount, to convince you to click on a link or enter your information.
How to avoid phishing?
- Do not click on any suspicious link: Do not click on any link in an email or text message that you have not confirmed its source.
- Check URL: Make sure the site's URL matches the real site.Look for any typing or strange headline errors.
- Do not enter your personal information in any untrusted site: Make sure the site is reliable before entering any personal information in it.Look for the lock icon in the address bar and for the SSL certificate.
- Be wary of tempting offers: Don't believe any offer that sounds good to be real.Scammers often make tempting offers to deceive their victims.
Impersonation tricks
With the advancement of artificial intelligence, impersonation on the internet has become easier, especially when it comes to voice cloning. A scammer might mimic the voice of a family member and call you, justifying the unfamiliar number with any excuse (or even steal a familiar phone from you), and ask you to send money urgently because they are in a difficult situation. In such cases, as always, you should verify the caller's identity by asking personal questions before taking any action.
It is crucial to handle online scammers by reporting and blocking them immediately. Do not respond to anything you doubt the authenticity of, and always secure your accounts using methods like two-factor authentication. Most importantly, stay aware of all potential online scams.
Banking tricks
This scam is similar to customer service fraud and has recently become notably widespread, deceiving many people. The scam involves receiving a text message or phone call from someone claiming to be a bank employee, who tells you that your account is suspended and asks you to provide sensitive information like your account number and password to reactivate it. Despite the obvious naivety of such requests, the clear spelling mistakes in the phishing messages, and the fact that the scammer contacts you from a personal number identifiable through apps like Truecaller, such scams still manage to fool some individuals. Remember that the bank will never ask for sensitive information like your password and will only contact you through official numbers.
So what are the signs of a "bank employee" scam?
- Misleading text messages or phone calls: The fraudster may call or send you a text message impersonating a bank employee and tell you that your account is being held.
- Spelling and grammatical errors: Spelling and grammatical errors are common signs of fraud.Scammers often do not care about writing linguistically correct letters.
- Sudden request for personal information: The Bank never requests sensitive personal information, such as an account password, via text messages or phone calls.
- Communicating from unofficial numbers: The bank communicates with its customers through the official numbers listed on its website.Do not trust anyone who calls you from an unknown number or from a personal number.
How to avoid "bank employee" fraud?
- Do not disclose your personal information to anyone: Do not disclose your account number or password to anyone, whether by phone, text message or email.
- Check the source of the message or call: If you receive a text message or phone call from someone claiming to be from the bank, verify the validity of the number by calling the bank directly on the official number.
- Contact the bank directly: If you are skeptical about the authenticity of any message or call you receive, contact the bank directly on the official number to verify the information.
- Use the Truecaller app: You can use the Truecaller app to identify your callers.
These were some of the famous tricks to protect you and your family in the online world .
