Online scams can steal both your identity and your money. Here are some warnings to watch out for.
Too good to be true
In the age of online shopping, many consumers look for deals on their favorite products and brands. Scammers exploit this to steal personal information or money. To protect themselves from losing their money, consumers should be aware of any red flags, from misleading fine print to bargains. If you are already a victim of scams, contact https://www.refundee.com/action-fraud.
Cybercriminals will use “too-good-to-be true” offers to steal money, access personal information and hack accounts. These scams usually ask victims to give sensitive information or click on malicious hyperlinks or download malware.
Tufts Career Center advises that you contact your supervisor directly if an opportunity seems too good to believe. You can also report the opportunity to the Career Center by flagging the employer in Handshake.
Scams that target seniors and retirees include advance fee scams. These schemes require you to pay money up front in order to receive something more valuable. The scheme can include anything from lottery wins to “gifts” or investments with attractive returns. The most dangerous part of these scams is the “catch” – once you send the advance fee, you’ll never see your money again.
Scammers will try to trick people during the holidays into giving up their account credentials or downloading malware on your device. Avoid clicking on unfamiliar links in emails, and always be cautious when using public Wi-Fi networks, where scammers can spy on your activity.
Scammers can also create fake websites that look similar to popular brands or retailers in order to trick consumers into divulging their credit card details, shipping address, or downloading malware. Check the model numbers of any online marketplaces before you send money. Sellers should only send items after they receive payment. This is best done via the platform’s official channels, like PayPal or Facebook checkout. Using alternative methods like Cash App or Venmo is not recommended and can lead to identity theft.
Lottery scams
Lottery scams can take many forms, but all are designed to deceive you. Scammers send legitimate-looking letters, emails, text messages or social media posts claiming you’ve won a prize in a lottery or sweepstakes you didn’t enter. They may tell you to pay a fee or provide your bank details before you can collect the prize. Legitimate lotteries don’t charge you to claim prizes.
Scammers will often use real lotteries names in these fake messages. They might even include a logo from the actual lottery you’re supposedly winning money in. They might also ask you to “keep your win confidential” or pressure you to act quickly by mentioning a deadline.
The most common lottery fraud involves fraudulent check requests. The scammer will send you a check that appears to be from the lottery, but they’ll instruct you to deposit it and then send back some amount of money for taxes, fees or insurance. The scammer might also ask that the wire be sent directly to them instead of you, which can make it harder for you to verify the source and track it once it leaves your bank.
Be wary of any communication which asks you wire money to someone that you do not know. Real lottery winners will not contact their prize winning agents through social media. Additionally, if the message states that you must keep your win confidential, it’s probably a scam. If you are unsure about a message you received from someone claiming to be from the lottery, you can contact the official lottery website. You can report suspicious information to the security department of real lotteries by using their email address or phone number.
Disaster relief scams
After natural disasters, scammers take advantage of victims, taxpayers and volunteers who want to help. These frauds take many forms, such as charitable solicitation fraud, contractor and vendor frauds, price gouging frauds, and property-insurance frauds. Scammers may contact potential victims by phone, social media or email, text, or in person. They may impersonate officials of the government, such as FEMA or Small Business Administration, to solicit personal information and money. They can also create fake social media accounts or websites with names similar to well-known charities. It is important to keep track of all donations. You should also review your bank statements or credit card statements to ensure you only pay the agreed amount.
After a natural disaster, scammers will flood the area to target victims who require help with cleaning up, rebuilding or reestablishing a life. Scammers will often use heartbreaking stories to gain sympathy and extort money and personal information. They will put you under pressure and demand that you pay via wire transfers or prepaid cards. They will falsely say they can get you eligible for FEMA funds for a small fee. There is no fee to apply for or receive federal disaster assistance from the FEMA or the Small Business Administration.
Survivors should be vigilant, ask questions, and insist on photo identification from anyone offering help. Check with your local government agency whether contractors, vendors or other workers are licensed. Ask for references, and get at least 3 written estimates or bids prior to committing to the project. You should also have the damage to your home evaluated by a professional before you begin any repairs.
Email scams
Email scams take many different forms, but all attempt to lure victims by evoking fear or greed. These emails often contain an urgent call for the recipient to take immediate action, such as a message saying that your bank has been compromised or that you have won the lottery. They are difficult to distinguish between genuine messages. They may also include misspellings and other typos that can help phishers get around spam filters and appear more legitimate, or contain a link to a fake website.
Email phishing attacks can be more sophisticated and are designed to appear as if they came from organisations the target trusts or knows. It could be a financial institution attempting to verify account information, an online store attempting to verify nonexistent purchases or even a technology or cybersecurity company asking for access to their systems. These messages are designed to be clicked. A link is framed in a button. This is becoming more popular for email and website design. Fraudsters can make an email look authentic by hiding the destination address in this style of button. This will encourage people to click and install malware or give confidential information.
This type of phishing attack can be particularly dangerous for those who work in an office setting, as it could be a trusted co-worker that is targeted. This type of phishing is called spear-phishing. Attackers often have more success when they target individuals, rather than groups.
The best way to defend against these types of phishing attacks, is to educate your staff on the signs that an email is suspicious. You can also train them to be extra cautious when clicking links or downloading files. It is also a great idea to regularly back up your data in case you need to recover from a hacking attack. You should also keep your operating system and other software updated to the latest patches and releases to close any vulnerabilities hackers may exploit.
Scammers can also target businesses by hacking the email address of a trusted contact and using it to send out phishing emails to other contacts. This is called conversational hijacking, and it can lead to the theft of confidential information or even identity theft. Use a multi-factor authenticator and consider an Identity Theft Protection Service to protect against these threats.
