It’s easy to forget that the internet is a dangerous place and that it’s easy to become a victim. Everyone wants to think that they’re too smart to fall for online scams or obvious fraud. Yet actions speak louder than words, and 97% of people still struggle to identify a phishing scam. Awareness is critical in beating the cybercriminals. So here are examples of the latest online scams and tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of similar attacks.
What are Online Scams?
Online scams come in many different forms but generally originate from one of four platforms: email, SMS, websites, and social media.
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Email phishing scams have been around for a long time, and email services have gotten pretty skilled at blocking them.
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Social media scams, meanwhile, are much harder to detect. They can take the form of fake profiles, fraudulent advertisements or offers, impostor groups, and deceptive instant messages.
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Website scams are as big of a problem, but they are even harder to detect. Scammers do a great job of making sites look authentic. So when someone isn’t looking for red flags, then they might not see any at all.
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SMS scams (also known as smishing) are a little easier to spot. But they are even more prevalent, which makes their success rate pretty high.
Recent Popular Online Scams to Watch Out For
Bitcoin scams
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are becoming so popular that even bank executives are starting to sweat. The problem is, the success of Bitcoin sparked a lot of interest among people who aren’t sure about how cryptocurrencies work. Thus, hackers swooped in to take advantage of those looking to get rich through cryptocurrencies. Various Bitcoin scams, including Ponzi schemes and fake exchanges, came into play.
The Infamous Nigerian Scam
It might be hard to believe that an old, overused scam like this could still be so popular. But the Nigerian Prince scam is alive and thriving. People continue to get duped into sending a “Nigerian royal” money with the hopes that they’ll receive millions in return. It’s so successful that, in fact, scammers still make upwards of $700 000 a year through this one scam alone.
Sextortion Scams
Sextortion is a form of fraud that involves blackmail. The victim gets an email or message saying they’ve been caught in an embarrassing moment. Usually, the scammer claims to have private photos of the person or to have hacked into their computer and taken videos through their webcam. Then they threaten to make these photos or videos public and demand money in exchange for their silence. In reality, these criminals seldom actually have any incriminating photos or videos. They only hope that the person will believe they do.
Tech Support Scams
Scammers pose as tech support for a real or fictional company and contact their victims with some imaginary problem. There is some variation in the way they execute this type of scam. But it always involves the tech support “expert” contacting the victim and not the other way around. They either ask for passwords to your accounts or access to the computer so they can “fix the problem” remotely. Some even convince their victims to buy non-existent services.
Fake shopping websites
Buying from online retailers is a convenient way of shopping. It can be cheaper than physical stores too. The only problem is, it’s pretty easy for a scammer to set up a fake online store to trick people into handing over their credit card info. It’s hard to spot a phony shopping website, as most of them mimic actual retailers.
How to Avoid Becoming a Victim of Cyber Scams
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Know what the tell-tale signs of a phishing scam are. For instance, phishing emails often have spelling mistakes. The content usually also imbues a sense of urgency.
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Be wary of emails and messages that claim to be from authoritative institutions like banks, the IRS, or insurance companies. These institutions usually avoid sending their clients messages with links because many scammers do. They want to avoid confusion. Instead, contact them directly or go to their website.
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Use a VPN for Mac and any other devices when you connect to the internet. It helps to ensure that hackers cannot intercept any sensitive data sent to or from the device.
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Cover any webcams and front-facing cameras with tape or get a webcam cover.
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Don’t let friendly language mislead you. Double-check messages/emails that use personal names or come from familiar contacts too. Scammers can get your contact info through data breaches. Plus, hackers send messages to everyone on their victim’s contact lists.
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Take a look at the URL of a website and make sure it looks legit. Something like “webpagename.com.net” is not a bona fide website.
Conclusion
It’s much easier to get scammed than most people realize. Some scams are pretty hard to spot, especially when someone doesn’t expect any foul play. Constant vigilance might not be fun, but it’s better than getting scammed.
