Beware of Internet Scams!
Each year thousands of users are fooled by Internet scammers. Criminals have been deceiving people on the Internet since its conception, but with the current popularity of social networking sites and other user focused applications, there’s even more potential for fraud.
The Most Popular Scams
PandaLabs, an industry leading internet security company, ranked the most prevalent Internet scams of the past ten years based on distribution and saturation.
- Nigerian scam: You may have heard of this one since it’s the oldest, yet still the most popular, of all the Internet scams out there. This scam involves someone who needs to get a large sum of money out of a country (typically Nigeria, thus the name) and that’s where you’re called on for help. This person only needs a small sum to get access to their fortune, and once they have it you will be well rewarded. Of course, once they get your money they disappear and you’re out of luck.
- Lotteries: Similar to the Nigerian scam, this ruse claims that you are a beneficiary of a winning lottery. Predictably they will require your bank account information or a down payment to cover the banking fees.
- Girlfriends: A beautiful girl from a far away country wants to get to know you. Sounds too good to be true, right? That’s because it is. She’ll be desperate to see you and make plans to come visit, but at the last moment there’s an emergency and she needs some quick cash. Best leave her at the airport, because she’s scamming you.
- Foreign Job Offer: A foreign company is looking for financial agents in your country, and the work is easy and you can do it from home. Give them your bank details and soon you will become a ‘money-mule’, shuffling cash from other victims to the cyber criminals. This is a double-whammy, as now you’ve unwittingly become an accomplice to the crime.
- Facebook / Email: Criminals obtain the login details to your Facebook account, email, or similar application and then change the login information to lock you out. They make it sound like you’re on vacation, and then pretend you’re stranded there. Using your account they then ask for money from your friends and relatives.
- Compensation: This scam claims to have setup a relief fund for those affected by the Nigerian scam and lists you as a possible victim. You are offered a huge payment, yet to receive this you have to pay some cash upfront.
- The Mistake: With this scam the criminal will respond to a classified ad that is selling a house, car, etc. They will agree to buy the object and will quickly send a check. The check, however, will be written for more than the amount agreed upon. They will then ask for you to send them the difference back. Their check will bounce, and you’ve been scammed out of your money.
How They Work
While there are many different Internet scams, most of them will follow a similar pattern.
- Contact is made from criminal to victim usually via email or social networking site
- The victim is asked to respond by email, phone, fax, etc.
- Contact continues between the parties to garner trust
- Eventually the criminal requests a sum of money under one pretext or another
- Once the money is received, you guessed it, the criminal is nowhere to be found
Historically these types of scams go back ages and predate the Internet, and while these types of crimes were hard to protect against then, the Internet now allows the criminals to be nearly untraceable. Keep reading to learn about some of the most common scams.
How to Prevent Becoming a Victim?
The old adage “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is” should be at the forefront of your mind when it comes to offers originating from obscure Internet sources. Here are just a few tips to keep you safe.
- Have some quality antivirus or malware software installed. These programs can detect spam and appropriately label them to keep you safe.
- Use your common sense. As mentioned above, “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” No one gives away thing for free, so being cautious is being safe.
- Try and use the “real world” for monetary transactions. The Internet is great for selling and locating buyers, but it’s always best to meet the buyer face to face to gauge interest. If you can’t do that, try and use a secure intermediary such as eBay or PayPal.
- Use a better password. Seriously, using your birthday or pet’s name is asking for trouble. If you need help generating a powerful password, check out http://www.pctools.com/guides/password .
Conclusion
These scams should be easy to avoid with knowledge and common sense. If, however, you or someone you know does fall victim to such deception it’s best to report it immediately. Even though the Internet makes tracking and punishing the criminals difficult, strides are being made by law enforcement agencies to track and punish cyber criminals.