Fraudsters are constantly coming up with new ways to trick people into giving them money or confidential data to access accounts. But no matter what the legend, there are five signs that can help you spot the scammers right away.
Sign 1. They contact you themselves
A stranger calls you, sends you a text message, emails you, or sends you a link in a messenger. Whoever he introduces himself as – a bank employee, a police officer, a store employee, or your millionaire cousin from Zimbabwe – be wary. Since he initiated contact, he wants something from you.
It is impossible to quickly check whether he is who he claims to be. The number that appears when a call comes in can be replaced , and accounts or websites of famous people or organizations can be faked . So you should be vigilant and not take anyone’s word for it.
Sign 2. They talk to you about money
The main goal of fraudsters is to gain access to other people’s money. Fraud schemes are almost always related to finances: you are offered to transfer all the money to a “safe account” , pay ” insurance for obtaining a loan ” or “very profitably” invest your savings (in reality – in a financial pyramid ).
Sign 3. You are asked to provide data
If thieves need keys to your apartment, then social engineers need the “key” to the money in your accounts. This could be confidential data on your card, including the expiration date and three digits on the back. Or logins and passwords to your personal account on the bank’s website or mobile application. And almost always – codes from bank notifications.
A real bank employee will never ask for secret card details, PIN codes and passwords.
When a bank notices a suspicious payment or transfer from your account, they contact you to confirm or decline the transaction, and that’s all. Confidential data is not required for this. If they ask for it, rest assured that the caller is not from the bank and they are definitely trying to deceive you.
Sign 4. You are being thrown off balance
Fraudsters try to evoke strong emotions in you – to scare or to please. This is how they confuse and dull the vigilance of a potential victim. For example, they say: “Your online bank has been hacked!” so that you, confused and worried, fulfill any requests and give out any information, just to save money.
Or, on the contrary, they surprise you with news of a sudden lottery win or promise quick enrichment . In return, you will have to “only pay a small fee”, and to do this, enter your bank card details on the site. Fraudsters create phishing pages with which they steal card details and gain access to the bank accounts of gullible users.
Sign 5. You are under pressure
Fraudsters always rush you so as not to give you time to think about the situation. They force you to do something, set conditions: “now or it will be too late”. A situation in which you are not given the right to choose and are forced to act immediately is suspicious.
If you feel psychological discomfort, it is better to stop communicating immediately. After all, the longer you talk to a scammer, the more pressure he will put on you. The scammers have prepared answers to all your questions, which only escalate the situation.