Most Recent Online Scams and How to Prevent Them
Not only are your old grandparents at risk, but boomers, millennials, and even Gen Zers may also be taken advantage of if they are not cautious, as online scammers have become increasingly cunning in recent years. This is due to the fact that these dubious individuals are always modifying their scamming strategies in response to current affairs and our ever-evolving digital culture.
The good news is that you'll have a far higher chance of identifying the scam and keeping your hard-earned money if you remain vigilant and adhere to these guidelines. These are the top five online frauds to watch out for at the moment.
Scams with Cryptocurrencies
For those who relish the excitement (and fear) of losing money at any time, cryptocurrency remains a popular trend.Additionally, scammers take advantage of the fact that it can become addicted, much like gambling. Scams involving cryptocurrency can occur in a variety of ways. In an effort to trick unsuspecting users into sending them money, scammers may create phony websites that mimic well-known cryptocurrency services. By fabricating an early investment opportunity and promoting it online, they may potentially take advantage of people's anxieties about losing out on a hugely profitable investment.
Scams involving Student Loan Forgiveness
Scammers frequently create phony debt forgiveness application websites in an attempt to steal people's social security numbers, bank account information, and money because they know how eager individuals are to have their loans forgiven. These websites are sometimes accompanied by urgent phone calls or emails attempting to persuade broke college graduates that this is their last opportunity to apply since these individuals have no shame at all.Scams involving romance
Love can break your bank account more than anything else, and as online dating becomes more and more popular, scams of this nature are becoming more frequent. Someone makes a phony dating profile, seduces an unwary victim, wins their affection with clever repartee, then requests money or purchasesbecause of some strange situation. The unfortunate scammee—that's what I'm calling someone who was conned—loses out on money and the opportunity to experience true love, which is why this is terrible.
Scams involving Online Purchases
You may fall prey to this kind of scam if you make an internet purchase and it never arrives. Scammers frequently set up phony online stores or "sell" items on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, take your money, and never deliver the goods you requested. I adore Facebook Marketplace just as much as the next man, but you need to exercise extra caution.Scams on Apps
To steal your money, scammers have learned to create nearly exact replicas of several well-known programsthrough in-app purchases. They will even develop apps that, once downloaded, take your personal information. Verify again that the well-known apps you're downloading are authentic, and avoid downloading unknown apps.
Additionally, watch out for payment apps like Zelle. Scammers have recently pretended to be the bank's fraud department in order to phone or text you and explain the matter. They'll advise you to send money to yourself to solve it, but you have little to no control over it and the money ends up in their account.
Alright, so we have discussed some online scams that you should be mindful of. Let's now discuss four strategies to avoid them:
Modify your passwords.
Passwords for key accounts (such as bank accounts, social media accounts, email accounts, etc.) should be changed every ninety days. Additionally, use a mix of capital and lowercase letters, digits, and special characters to make them difficult to figure out. Better yet, change some of the letters and characters in your password to form a phrase. For instance, I might choose Dog Dad Life, but it might read D0gDadL1fe in password form!Additionally, you should change your password right away to be safe if you ever learn about a data breach, which indicates that it may have been compromised.
Set up two-factor authentication on all of your passwords while you're at it. This adds an extra layer of protection and makes it much more difficult for hackers and scammers to obtain your personal information.
Keep an eye on your emails.
Before opening an email, pay careful attention to the sender and subject line. Additionally, do not click on any links in emails you receive from unfamiliar addresses until you have more information about the sender, particularly if you are being informed that you have won $2 million. Be very wary of anyone requesting financial information or personal information. Mark it as spam if in doubt.Every day, check your bank account online.
Although the majority of banks will notify you if they see any unusual activity in your account, it's still crucial to check your account daily to make sure there aren't any strange expenditures. Think of yourself as your own personal armored guard wearing those aviator sunglasses since you are in charge of your finances. You can even act like you have a fancy van and all that.
Believe on your instincts.
Use your Spidey-Sense if you think someone or something online is strange. This applies to websites, iPads you may have won, and any partners. If in doubt, avoid clicking on or accepting anything that looks dubious.Additionally, get a second opinion if you're struggling to determine whether anything is a scam or not. It's better to be cautious than sorry!
Scammers can go one step further and attempt to steal your entire identity in order to utilize it for their own financial and personal benefit, which is one of the main reasons it's crucial to protect yourself against frauds.