Mia
While there are many friendly people on the internet, it’s also true that there are people who only want to trick you into doing something you don’t want to do, or even worse: stealing from you. There are many scams going around on the internet, and sometimes it’s hard to tell what you need to stay safe online.
That’s why we created this article, with some tips and tricks on avoiding the most common scams on the internet and how to spot them quickly so that you don’t get tricked by them!
Job Scams
So you’ve been offered a job, but you know that no employer would ask for money as a ‘recruitment’ or ‘administration fee’ – this is a sure red flag when you’re applying for jobs online.
The potential victim is looking for jobs online and responds to an offer letter or ad requiring them to fill out a form and send their resume. Of course, said employer will never respond. This type of job scam is called spear-phishing, where scammers aim directly for potential victims based on their profiles – often because those profiles include information about them (such as a similar job title in a different company) that makes it seem more legitimate.
It’s not necessarily easier to spot than any other kind of online scam; it just comes from someone who knows more about you than your average stranger whose goal is just to take your money.
Romance Scams
For victims, these love scams can be particularly distressing because they strike at a person’s emotions. The fraudster will build a relationship with their victim through corresponding with them online for weeks or months before asking for money to visit. But, once that’s paid, they vanish.
It’s hard to estimate how many people have fallen victim to romance scammers, but it is undoubtedly millions. Take the recent case of Simon Leviev, the ‘Tinder Swindler,’ who even inspired a Netflix movie about online dating scams. He single-handedly conned his victims out of millions of dollars.
Just remember – if something sounds too good to be true, then there’s always more than likely one part of it that isn’t! So if you want to protect yourself from falling victim, look out for excessive compliments and attention along with requests for money right away – if an offer seems too good to be true, then you should always question whether it could ever pay off.
Always trust your gut instincts when using dating apps or services, and don’t ignore red flags – they could save you some heartache later down the line!
Fake Ads
One of the scammers’ best tricks is to place an ad for a product or service that has nothing to do with their actual business. For example, fake ads promising free iPads may appear near real ads for reputable, well-known companies like Verizon and Sprint.
The scammers hope you’ll think these fake companies are legitimate and click through them, then pay for a free trial of some useless product or service—only to realize when it shows up on your credit card bill that you’ve been scammed.
If you see an ad, don’t assume it’s real. Instead, look at company logos to verify they’re who they say they are. Always read reviews before buying anything, too, even if it looks legit.
However, many scammers will fabricate hundreds of positive-sounding user reviews to entice victims to make purchases without further research. So, keep an eye out for any ‘products’ with only outstanding reviews – even the best products will have some negative or more balanced reviews, too.
Pyramid Schemes
A pyramid scheme is a business opportunity that will cost you plenty in upfront and hidden fees while delivering little or nothing in return. One example is a health product pyramid scheme that requires you to buy their product at an exorbitant price. Another involves promoters asking for money upfront to learn a marketing strategy, with more fees required to be paid as part of continuing your participation.
If a salesperson asks you to spend thousands of dollars just to get started, then it’s probably not worth it. Never invest in anything that sounds too good to be true; if it sounds too good to be true, there’s more than likely something shady going on behind closed doors.
The first step towards protecting yourself from internet scams like these is to arm yourself with knowledge. Search for information online and do thorough research before buying into any investment opportunity online – even if they supposedly have high-profile endorsements by celebrities, these can easily be faked.
Remember, no one can make you rich overnight without risking your own savings. If something seems way too good to be true, it more than likely is and you should walk away.
Phishing Scams
Phishing is a scam in which someone sends an email that looks like it’s from a legitimate company (like your bank, eBay, PayPal, etc.) asking you to verify your information. Clicking that link usually means you’re giving up your personal info and signing into a fake website set up by criminals.
To avoid these kinds of messages, Google every link sent to you via email or text before clicking. You can also check the email address that the message came from – often, the email will contain proper company branding, but the email address used will clearly be fake.
Many major companies offer forms to report phishing scams, so be sure to send in any fake emails or messages straight away to stop others from falling victim in the future.
