Crooks who commit online fraud use all kinds of disguises.
Often thieves will pretend to represent a medical organization or charity.
These are effective because of the way medical emergencies are sensationalized
in the news. The solicitations for these scams can be infused with urgency, so
that they can likely pan out much quicker. They will often refer to current
outbreaks of disease, new health care regulations imposed by the government or
even a medical emergency concerning someone you love.
One day you might receive an email telling you something
like “your uncle has contracted the zika virus and needs to be quarantined
immediately, please wire $100,” signed by the US Surgeon General. This is of
course an exaggeration. But you might
see a pop-up in your browser urging you to help with drought relief in the Horn
of Africa. Or one that asks you to fill out new medical insurance forms,
seemingly from your provider. These are examples of how many online fraud
schemes begin.
Con artists are very good at pretending that they are
someone else. They can forge logos and documents making them look identical to
official ones. They can impersonate relatives by hacking into their email
accounts. Often, they will use a combination of tricks and are very
resourceful. After all, online fraud is how they get their money. So you should
always start by checking the origin of any request for money or critical
personal information, even if the word emergency is attached.
Search for online fraud that has already been reported by
using the scammers own words. “Avalanche in the Himalayas,” “One time discount
on your health plan,” “Receive by tax refund if you donate now,” run them
through google and see what comes up. If you add the keywords online fraud, you
might see that these solicitations are commonly seen by other internet users.
Remember that cons use current events, so some of the results you get might be
quite legitimate.
No real agency, charity or relative would ask for money
directly, without some back story. Be diligent in your research and of course
call to see if your uncle is in fact ok. Sometimes, however the cons are quite
happy getting just some of your information. They can put it to work to steal
money from you or other people remotely. Knowing that someone else was conned
in your name is even worse than losing money yourself. So be very careful with
your information and don’t let it be used for online fraud. The same rules
apply as with your cash, don’t give it to random people. Check them out first.
Always take your time in every situation that involves
people asking you for money. It is really up to you whether you fall victim to
online fraud. Do your research on the internet and you may save yourself and
others from scams. If you ever notice suspicious activity, you should report it
to the authorities, so they can find the scammers. Also make sure you tell the
people you love, as you might save them a lot of grief by keeping them informed
about the types of online fraud out there.
