Learn about the different types of online scams and how to protect yourself from falling victim to cybercriminals. Stay safe online!Critical thinking is the main antidote to online scammers who play on emotions and abuse trust. We tell you about common methods of deception on the Internet – you need to know about them in order not to become a victim of extortionists.
Types of Online Scams.
Fake dating
Loneliness is not a reason to turn a blind eye to inconsistencies in the story of an online admirer. Often, scammers gain trust gradually, sparing no time: everything starts harmlessly, with a confession of sympathy, correspondence, photos, sometimes even calls. When the attacker feels that contact has been established, sudden obstacles to happiness emerge. An allegedly wealthy suitor asks you to provide him with a service that requires financial costs from you: be it buying tickets or paying for some “important” delivery. Stick to a simple rule – if you have not met the person in person, such services are out of the question.
“Safe” deal
Some online platforms offer a secure transaction format. It is assumed that the funds will be frozen until the conditions are met by both parties. For example, until the goods are received by the recipient. However, during the process of discussing the deal, scammers can send a fake link, while the page will look like the original. And then, of course, the funds will go to the attacker’s account. It is easy to protect yourself: never follow links sent by an unfamiliar interlocutor from the Internet, and do not agree to go to messengers.
Expensive vacancy
Desperate people tend to hope for a miracle and trust strangers who promise a solution to their problems. Therefore, unemployed people who have posted their resumes on specialized websites are also at risk. Fraudsters contact the victim and offer a job, but first they need to pay for some kind of test, medical certificate, training or something similar, which may seem quite appropriate. However, here too, you should be wary if you have not seen the office and know absolutely nothing about the “employer”.
Modeling business
When a modeling agency writes you a compliment from their official page, it is certainly nice. You may not have thought about conquering the catwalk, but they saw beauty and talent in you. Just to participate in commercial projects, they will tell you, you need to pay for an expensive photo shoot or training. And often both. Keep in mind that you may never get real job offers (even more so after a low-quality shoot at an exorbitant price). You can soberly assess your potential yourself by contacting agencies that inspire confidence and attending real castings.
Requests for help
Any request for help on the Internet should be questioned. Before transferring money to organizations, study their reputation and reviews. And if a friend asks for help, be sure to contact the person by phone. If they can’t do without your contribution, the requester will not refuse you even a personal meeting. Remember that trusting “documents”, voice messages and even videos on the Internet in the era of neural networks is unacceptable negligence. Do not rush to give in to emotions and check the information.
Borrowing money
It is difficult to find a person who has never received a request to transfer money from a friend on social networks. Or more precisely, from scammers who hack accounts specifically to make such a mailing. The classic “scam”, alas, still works – do not lose vigilance and respond to the request without additional questions. Call the owner of the account or ask in correspondence about something that only the real owner of the page can know. And new details or a phone number to which it is proposed to transfer money should definitely alert you.
Extortion
Owners of network-connected CCTV cameras and other smart devices may simply believe that they have been compromised. In theory, this is indeed possible. The best thing to do when a ransom is demanded is to contact law enforcement agencies and report blackmail. But even if you decide to make a deal, there is no guarantee that the criminals actually have any compromising materials. Most likely, it is just a bluff.
Phishing sites
Phishing sites are pages that look like original resources, but have nothing in common with them in reality. You won’t get to them from official portals — as a rule, attackers distribute such links via email. The topic can be anything, but in the end you will be asked to enter data in the payment form. This way, attackers will get hold of payment information — the loss of money will be only a matter of time.