Have you encountered an internet scam? Or, survived one by any chance? If yes, you are lucky! Not everyone is. Internet scams remain to be well and alive. They are costing the victims thousands of bucks. The startling fact is that an internet scam is not a piece of cake. It’s not like subscribing to Spectrum Double Play. It’s not easy to plan and carry out. Yet, look at the stats! Do you know that IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center of FBI) received around 300,000 online fraud complaints in the year 2015? This makes an average of around 800 complaints a day. That’s a lot! Nearly half of these victims also reported a financial loss in the event.
Older adults tend to fall for online frauds more easily and frequently. According to IC3’ statistics, 40% of the internet scam victims were above the age of 50. They are reported to lose above $100,000. That’s sad. The truth is that anyone can fall for an online swindle. Therefore, it’s important to be enlightened on the said issue. No one in this modern age can unplug from the internet. So familiarize yourself with the common types of online scams and take proactive measures.
Top 3 Types of Internet Scams
- Online Romance
- Fake Credit Report Sites
- Phony Security Warning Pop-Ups
Let’s discuss them and ways to avoid them effectively.
Online Romance
You may think that only Millennials are interested in dating sites. But the truth is that people from all generational groupings are following the trending dating sites. They can be great when you are trying to meet new people. However, romance fraudsters love dating sites. And unfortunately, they hunt down their victims there. The reports from the FBI indicate that romance scams are the biggest cause of financial losses during online scams.
- This type of fraud can take many forms. But typically, the scammer tries to develop a romantic connection with the potential victim
- Once they have managed to win the victim’s trust, a clear signal to where it is heading comes with a demand for money
- They will come up with genuine-sounding reasons like a personal emergency. One of the most common reasons they would give is to purchase an air ticket to visit the prospective victim
- This scam goes as far as victims convinced and willing to share their personal account info with the scammers
- These conniving crooks would then commit financial frauds on the victim’s behalf
You should always be extra cautious on online dating sites. Romance fraudsters particularly target older adults. In addition, women are more victimized on dating sites than men. Minimize the chances of getting duped and don’t share your financial account credentials with anyone on these sites. Break contact with people who try to scam you, make sure you report these people to the dating site too.
Fake Credit Report Sites
According to the law, people are entitled to have a free copy of their credit report once a year. To order your free credit report, there’s a government authorized site to get in touch with. But unfortunately, the internet is full of phony sites. You will see a number of websites, which claim to offer credit reports for free. While in reality, they are only trying to gather your personal info. This info includes your date of birth, social security number, and so on. Once they are able to steal your identity, they can use it for all vile purposes.
Other scam sites may offer credit monitoring for free and charge a heavy fee to your credit card after the trial period is over. Therefore, avoid such sites.
- If you think you are suffering from a case of identity theft, immediately place a fraud complaint on your credit report
- Avoid responding to emails, social media ads, and pop-up ads which offer free credit reports
- Always go to the authentic and legitimate website to get your credit report
- Keep a keen eye on the URL doppelgangers of the official site. Take your time to confirm you are on the legitimate site
Phony Security Warning Pop-Ups
Don’t be paranoid while you use the internet. Because then you can be easily scammed. This scam works by creating fake warning pop-ups. They appear on your screen about your machine being infected with a malicious virus. Then it directs you to download some efficient security software instantaneously.
- Scammers make money by tricking the naïve victim into buying the rogue software
- When these security software programs are free of cost, the scammers will use them to access your confidential info in your system. Once they are downloaded and installed, they will sneak into your private data and stored info
- Even the most experienced internet user can fall for this scam, as the pop-ups look legitimate. You can easily confuse them with messages coming from some leading security server or even Windows
Avoid this scam by using genuinely effective anti-virus software. And that too from a well-reputed company. Just like you call Spectrum customer service (1-844-813-5886) and pick the best internet package, similarly, don’t compromise on the anti-virus software too. It will automatically defend your system against the phishing attacks and viruses. So, pick the best one!
