You might
lose more than your money when you fall for an online scam. The lives of some
users have been ruined because of Web fraud. A few people have disappeared or have
been presumed dead because of these cyber-criminal syndicates. This is why you
should make it a point to secure yourself, whenever you're on the Internet.
Last year
(2015), more than 600 monthly cases of Web crime were reported by users in the
USA. During the first half of this year (2016), this number grew to 800 monthly
cases. Cyber criminals worldwide are continuing to create new online scam
systems to victimize more people every day. You need to keep at pace with the
latest Web fraud, so as to be able to spot and avoid it.
It'll be
quicker and easier for you to spot and avoid an online scam, if you know about the
most widespread Web fraud tactics today. So, here they are, along with some
simple tips on how to avoid them:
Top Online
Scam Systems This Year
1. Phishing
Scams - This type of online scam is when users are tricked into giving away
their personal details and account credentials. Clones of popular banking
sites, Web mail platforms and online shopping networks are used for this
Internet scam.
These clones
look exactly like the legitimate sites. Links to these fake sites are sent by
cyber criminals via email, SMS and private messaging boards in popular social
networks, like Facebook and Twitter. Frequently, cyber criminals use hacked
accounts of unsuspecting users to send out these links to the user's contacts.
The main
thing that a scammer won't be able to replicate, is the exact domain of a
legitimate site. So, before you click on a link in an email, SMS or private
message, even if it's from a trusted contact - You should carefully check the
URL of the link.
Take note
that most of these scammers replace letters in legitimate domain names with
similar looking characters. For example, a link might take you to a fake site
under the domain gmai1.com in an effort to steal your Gmail account
credentials.
When a
scammer manages to steal your financial details and online banking credentials,
you might be shocked to receive a phone call from local cybercrime authorities.
This happens because many of these criminal syndicates use stolen bank account
credentials and credit card details to purchase prohibited products on the Deep
Web, such as illegal porn, firearms and drugs. If you don't watch out, you
might be left holding the bag. Imagine how being suspected of criminal
activities can ruin your reputation. People have lost their jobs and the trust of their families, friends and colleagues because of this online scam.
2. Girlfriend
and Boyfriend Scams - This is an online scam when unsuspecting users are
tricked into participating in money laundering and product fencing operations.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and ActionFraud (national online
crime reporting center of the UK) constantly send out warnings and reminders
about this Internet scam to Web users in the US and the UK.
Cyber-criminal
groups that operate this online scam mainly target single middle-aged male and
females on popular dating sites and apps worldwide. They trick users into
thinking that they're looking for romantic or platonic relationships on these
dating sites and apps. They then convince them to go into a business venture by
opening a merchant account. Many scammers also try to convince users to accept
money and products on their behalf, supposedly because of certain restrictions
in their countries.
In reality,
they'll just use the merchant accounts to charge and cash out stolen credit
cards. The money that they might send is in fact stolen payouts from these
stolen credit card charges. The products that they'll ask the user to receive
on their behalf are in fact bought using these stolen credit cards and hacked
online banking accounts.
What you can
do to avoid scammers is being extra careful when spending time in these dating
sites and apps. The best way to avoid an online scam is to not accept offers for
business ventures, money or products from other users on dating platforms.
These are the
top online scam systems this year. By remembering to do the things above,
you'll effectively spot and avoid these Internet fraud operations. To help
other users, feel free to share this with your contacts, or you can also use
the comment box below to post your experience.
