Unfortunately, the Internet is no longer a safe space. Every day there is a chance that you will fall for a brand new type of online scam, so it’s best to equip yourself with relevant knowledge on the subject. You won’t become an easy target for criminal minds if you learn a thing or two about widespread phishing schemes used by malicious actors. This article is intended to enlighten and prevent you from making costly mistakes. So what are the most popular online scams you should stay away from?
Phishing Emails
Phishing emails are involved in more than 30% of all security incidents worldwide. In many cases, people open and download malicious files attached to scam emails because they don’t bother checking the contents before advancing into action. However, phishing scams seem to evolve and eventually become a dire global threat to data security for both individual users and organizations. Using phishing emails, cybercriminals try to trick users into providing sensitive data, such as credit card details or login credentials from bank accounts and social networks. How do they manage to do that? Quite often, malicious actors mimic a legitimate official source, e.g., banks or any other trustworthy institution, and resort to social engineering to convince you to click a malicious link. Free public Wi-Fi is another way to send you phishing emails.
“You Won a Lottery” Scams
There are some Internet scams that have already become classic. A perfect example of a trick that never gets old is a lottery scam. What would you do if you received an email announcing that you won a lottery? A tidy sum is within your arm’s reach, but there is one small thing you need to do before you get it – pay a small fee. People lap it up even when they don’t recall going in for a raffle.
There is one conclusion you need to make: people who promise you can earn money fast and easily are not worth trusting. We’re all grown up and know that getting rich quickly is an impossible mission. Cybercriminals often address the emotional side of their victims and take advantage of their need for money. Be smarter than that and never share your personal or financial data with people on the Internet, no matter how luring their offers are.
Bitcoin Scams
Even though our lives have become much easier with the invention of the Internet, it can indeed play a cruel joke with us when it comes to financial aspects. Today we have so many opportunities to earn money online; investing in cryptocurrencies, e.g., in Bitcoin, can seem quite an appealing option.
However, you need to be very careful not to become an easy target for online scammers. Digital wallets have their own vulnerabilities, and – you’d better believe us – hackers are well aware of them. Blockchain technology keeps guard over Bitcoin transactions’ safety, but there are still some scams it can’t protect you from. Here are some tips for you to follow:
- Make sure you’re not trading on fake Bitcoin exchanges.
- Beware of Ponzi schemes. It is a widespread financial fraud when you are promised to get an abnormally high reward for a simple action.
- Never install any software sent by strangers. We hope that it’s evident that if someone persistently asks you to install something, it’s a red flag.
- Keep your money in safe wallets. Grapherex e-wallet provides a high degree of data protection.
Fake Shops
You need to be cautious when buying stuff online. Thousands of phishing websites offer fake goods, false information, or even collect your valuable personal data. It’s better to double-check everything before placing an order, and we strongly recommend to Google some info on the website to avoid being scammed.
Job Offer Scams
Scammers are everywhere. You may fall for fraud when you least expect it – for example when you are trying to find a new job. Phishers post fake yet extremely attractive job offers and can even contact you directly on LinkedIn. The offer can be appealing, but don’t buy it before conducting thorough research about the company.
Protecting yourself from the devious minds of swindlers is not an easy task, yet you can use their own weapon against them. The Internet provides you with tons of helpful knowledge on existing scamming techniques – learn more about your enemies now to defeat them later.