What Are Online Scams And How To Avoid Them

Online scams are always in the news these days. As cybersecurity attacks and breaches of all sizes occur, more people are trying to learn how to detect and defend themselves against them. This includes anything from e-mail scams and phishing to computer viruses.

Just how many different kinds of scams are there on the internet, and which ones are the worst? Read on to find out.

Identity Theft

Identity theft is one of the most discussed scams online, partially because it affects so many people. It can come in many shapes and sizes. Since it’s a broad category, it can include stolen social security numbers or stolen credit card numbers that are used without the owner’s knowledge.

Take online shopping and gaming, for example. If you use a marketplace or any kind of gaming site that is not trustworthy or legally recognised, cyber criminals could attempt to steal your personal info and use it for themselves.

This is why you must always be diligent and avoid places that are not licensed or regulated. Safety is a key part of online casinos, gaming sites, and e-commerce sites, and you can avoid potential scams by only spending your money with trustworthy apps and sites.

Phishing

Phishing is a word thrown around a lot these days, sometimes even applied to things that aren’t quite accurate. All phishing refers to unsolicited messages, often sent to an unsuspecting social media account, that try to use manipulation tactics to get the account to give over sensitive information willingly.

The information that phishing accounts go after tends to vary widely. Sometimes, it’s something as predictable as a credit card or other payment information. Other times, they deliberately target large accounts to hack them and access their audience. This is sometimes done with artificial intelligence to create convincing ads to trick people into believing they offer a legitimate business opportunity.

Luckily, it doesn’t take much to avoid phishing. Just always ignore messages from random accounts asking you for anything, and if you have a bad feeling about them, you can always block them. The same applies to e-mail messages as well.

Job Offer Scams

Though these are not as common as other scams, there has been a noticeable increase in what’s commonly known as job offer scams. Depending on what type of job offer scam is going on, it may even try to lead you to the bottom of a pyramid scheme.

Job offer scams usually work via text messages or e-mail. Someone claiming to be a company representative will try to conduct a short job interview with you. They may even provide many details, such as an apparent address, salary, and whatnot. Unfortunately, these details are often completely untrue.

After talking with you for some time, they will often ask you to send them a small deposit of sorts. The reasons for this vary: maybe they need help with a quick investment, or maybe they’re claiming they need to see some proof that you are serious about the position. Either way, block that number and do not send them anything.

Malware

Everyone has heard of malware. It’s one of the ugliest words of the digital age. Malware is a very broad category and can refer to any kind of software designed to harm your system, but malware usually takes the form of spyware, trojans, and viruses.

Malware can be received through opening dangerous links or downloading something from an untrusted source. These days, malware can be so advanced that it can work in the background, sometimes for months or years at a time, without the victim even realizing they are compromised.

Some malware can be very obvious, like slowing down your computer or deleting sensitive programs or firewall systems. Some malware, however, can be extremely subtle, which is why you should always use a good firewall or anti-virus program – and use it at least once a month for major scans.

The best way to avoid malware of any kind in the first place is to never open up links that come from random, unknown sources or people.

Many scams revolve around the idea of infecting someone with a virus or spyware of some kind. It could be an e-mail fraud link, a download from a piracy website promising a new movie or video game, or even something as simple as a phishing attempt.

This is because malware can be very good at doing what scammers are trying to do themselves directly: steal your personal data and money. Instead of risking getting caught through a standard conversation, they just place the malware inside an innocent package. It installs itself in the background quickly, with many people being none the wiser, and soon after, the damage has already been done.

Final Thoughts

Staying vigilant by using only licensed sites, ignoring unsolicited messages, and maintaining good security software can help protect your personal information and finances. Remember that when it comes to online safety, prevention through awareness and caution is always better than trying to recover from a successful scam.