Here’s the List of Top 10 online scams you must be aware of:
First be sure that scams are everywhere and continuously making strong themselves to trick you. Especially when you change your track from official to unofficial, you may be scammed. The Internet has made our life so colorful by social media, shopping, streaming, etc., But also it has made the way easy of scamming for the scammers and hackers. Whatever I’m going to tell you today I already have to go through these scams. But I was aware! We will discuss what kind of scams are circulating which will directly or indirectly or potentially cheat you.
1) Phishing Pages
Phishing pages are used for fraudulent peoples by making website pages. These pages usually include offers, discount, services as a legitimate company or showing fake ownership of the existing company. Phishing page is still in the trend which is being used in the following:
a) Banking – grabbing bank details such as login details, password, name, DOB, phone number, even OTP too.
b) Social details – they can grab your Facebook, Instagram, Google, and other important login details.
Tips – Don’t fall for the discount, lottery offers, see the URL, again and again, to make sure that’s is correct original one or not.
Read this: How to Test Suspicious Links Without Clicking Them?
2) The Nigerian Scam
The Nigerian scam is being used for grabbing money by targeting someone’s emotional part of the brain. This method was started in Nigeria which leads its name The Nigerian scam also known as Nigerian 417. Usually, they send an email or text written emotion story that they have been facing problems such as bomb blast, refugee, serious diseases etc. Then they ask some money from you by making you feel emotional (like you become in emotional movies). For that they promise for a big return showing they belong to a wealthy family, government members, businessman usually they take the role of a lady. And they repeat the process of begging again and again until you get into their trick.
Tips – Everyone has emotion but always use your mind to find where your money is going to be used. Also, understand the phycology of the scammer and behavior. And if you decided to help them then ask more and more information to find who they really are?
3) Fake Job Offers
By the fake job method scammers scam by putting a proposal of job and taking some feeses for joining it. They also put some fake steps to join to make it seems real and genuine one. For making this happen they make fake Facebook, LinkedIn and other social accounts and put all fake info which makes it look wealthy and professional. Then they join a lot of groups/communities related to business, marketing, success and start posting about their fake requirements. As I told you they try to become more professional so they even write limited seats, filling fast etc. After your conversation with them, they ask you for some money and you just fall.
Tips – PROFESSIONAL COMPANIES NEVER ASK YOU TO PAY FOR JOB. Fit in your mind that never pay them. To determine if the sender is real consultant/HR of the company or not, for the email to the official one and ask whether it is from that company or not.
4) Sexual Extortion (Sextortion)
It’s something like phishing. Let’s understand it. Sexual Extortion is a form of blackmailing victim for money for not to expose victim’s sexual images, videos etc. So how these all begin? Let’s understand it. The scammer uses a girl as a pawn and makes her charming social media account. Then they send a friend request to only wealthy boys (basically they analyze it by seeing their photos like my new car, Party in 7-star hotel…etc). Ok, now the game will begin. The boy will accept her friend request (90% chances) and both will start chatting. The girl will slowly come to the text than images then finally video calling. Now it will start by talking the first move about both life then the conversation will get hot and hot. After 5-10 minutes both will have come to the nude position and the guy will not be aware that what is going on with him. And the girl’s owner will be recording the whole scenario. Now you almost have understood the whole trick.
Then the scammer starts blackmailing the victim for huge money saying otherwise your videos will be viral tagging your family. and most of the times victim have to pay as respect have more value than money.
Tips – Don’t fall in beauty. Its good to make a new relationship but don’t expose yourself on the internet until meeting her in real life and touching the emotion.
5)Cryptocurrency and ICOs scam
Well, Bitcoin is the first cryptocurrency based on blockchain technology developed by an anonymous developer on Feb 2009.
Read this: Bitcoin Explained.
Cryptocurrency scamming is not a process but scammer is using it in different ways. The major ways are ICOs (Initial coin offering), cloud mining, high return interest generator, etc., Let’s understand each:
a) ICOs – Initial Coin Offering is used for rising fund online in cryptocurrency for starting a blockchain project. But unfortunately, some scammers make a website looking attractive and write its plan so attractive and looks legit on which they never did research. Then they start selling companies share in form of their token and after gaining enough money they run away.
b) Cloud mining – Cloud mining is a process of mining of various types of cryptocurrency with shared processing power without buying hardware. But scammers have made this a tool to scam. They raise money for giving a high return and circulate money and at last, they scam. In fact, they take money from investors but never buy any hardware and make fool until running away.
c) High Return Interest – In this process scammers do nothing but just circulate the cryptocurrency of each investor to another. They do it until incoming funds become less than payout funds.
Tips – Don’t fall for quick profit schemes. They pay you somedays then scam you. Think twice before investing anywhere. After all, you have Google.
6) Credit Card Scams
Credit card scams mean using someones else credit card for making a payment while purchasing anything without owner’s permission. Hackers and scammers mostly use Phishing and buying data from third parties to access it. By phishing, they redirect innocent peoples to fake payment page from a fake shopping website. And get whole data of credit cards of the users and withdraw their money in different types of way. Also, they buy data from some websites which store CC data (no professional websites doing this ). Here you can see video what happens to your hacked CC after that.
Tips – Don’t do payment on websites which don’t have enough popularity especially don’t use website which sounds like offers and Ponzi. Also if you get any doubt call those website customer care number.
7) Lottery Scam
This technique is being used for injecting malware, keylogger and spying codes in your computer. Scammers randomly mail and spread the message for clicking on a specific link for lottery and offers. Mostly they say that you are lucky for this lottery, why not just grab it? And when you visit that link you see lottery jackpot, spin reward etc., and you perform the whole processes. But indirectly they had done install codes/script into your computer to monitor you or potentially harming or using you. Also, they ask you to install a specified software, file, app as a final step of lottery which is also a virus hub.
Tips – Again saying, don’t fall for the fake lottery. Never download anything from an unofficial source just for a lottery and in fact, there is no lottery for you. They just confuse you in steps.
8) Pump and Dump Stocks/Cryptocurrency
Stocks pumping and dumping is a practice to increase cheaply bought stocks price by spreading false and misleading information. The false and misleading information may be provided by owner and holders for their greediness. The information they use for increasing the rate of share/stock price is mostly ungrounded and artificial. How do they do it? Let’s understand:
First, the group of a team or individual buy any stocks and hold it for selling at the pick rate. Now they spread the fake, unestimated news on that company regarding its bright future in order to increase its price. When they make everything happen just sell the cheaply bought stocks on other/new members and escape with profit. So the term they try to increase the price by fake news called PUMP and the term they sell after pumping is called DUMP.
Tips – If you are cryptocurrency and stocks holder, do your own research on company/project potential before investing. DON’T FOLLOW NEWS, RUMOURS TO BUY OR SELL. Those all are pre-planned scams.
9) Fake Antivirus Scam
This scheme is used for grabbing users credit card details and installing viruses into their computer as well. How they make these all process happened? Let’s understand:
First, they make an affiliate link from existing antivirus companies like McAfee, Avast etc for a commission. Now they spread this link and popups ads. When someone surfs their website the popup appears and says “Your existing antivirus is out of date and your pc have serious viruses and problems. Click here to update it now.” Well, till now everything seems legit as they are just doing all for the commission? No, the game has been started now. Instead of redirecting you to the official website to make a purchase, they redirect you to their fake cloned website which appears like the official one. Now they ask you for entering all your credit card details to proceed and when you go through this process the error page come out and they have just stored your CC details on their database. This page contains texts written, “Your order has been failed please call this number for inquiry regarding your transaction.”
Now when you call that number, fake customer care pickup and suggest you do payment again cause that was failed (this time they will redirect you to the official one). And you will make a legit purchase on the original website. So the game was they got your credit card details without letting you know. Also, they made a commission for making a purchase by you. So we can call this triple layer profit. Now they will use your credit card to make the biggest purchase without letting you know.
Tips – Its good to keep antivirus updated in your computer/phone but always make sure what you are doing actually. Read the URL address of that antivirus website in order to make sure if they are original one or fake.
10) Online Hitman
We share our personal life information, activities more on social media for showing off and likes. But remember someone may be watching you too. These scammers keep eyes on targeted victim’s profile, activities and parallelly write it in a daring story. Let’s understand it. Suppose someone posted on social media “Me and my friends on ABC park on this vacation. My new car, it had a great time with you all guys etc.”
Now they will transform it all in a story like they are watching you in real life. Like “We are watching you. Yesterday you bought a new car with your parents. It’s your vacation these days. Well, we need 5000$ from you for not killing you. And as we already have proved that you are in our eyes where you go and what you do. So if you even try to call the police, you will get death for sure. So be smart and make this deal done. Once you decide, we will give an address to send bitcoin or cash. Need your reply within 30 hours otherwise be ready to leave this planet.”
Read this: How to delete Facebook account permanently?
Tips – So friends make your privacy tight on social media and try to post less personal information data to help those scammers.
Conclusion:
Again repeating scammers are everywhere mostly when you change your way from official to unofficial. In the online world slowly privacy is being finished. These scammers are one step forward and bring new ideas to cheat you, fraudulent you. So what I can suggest you all for preventing these is just use official service, don’t fall in greed for offers, discount, quick profit. Always you need to be sure what you surfing on the internet and check the URL properly if its official one or not. Also, keep your social media privacy limited to your friends and don’t accept the unknowns friend request. Be smart and be safe.
Also read – How to Earn Money Online?
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