Internet fraud occurs more than you might think, and it’s not always easy to spot when you’re getting scammed. If you’re familiar with the types of scams that can happen over the internet, though, you can avoid becoming a victim and make sure your friends and family don’t fall prey either. Learn more about internet fraud here.
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Email scams
One of the most common types of internet scams is email scams. As email use has increased, so have these scams. This type of scam takes place when a user receives an email that appears to be from a trusted source and includes a link. When the user clicks on the link, they may be prompted for information or may download malware onto their device without realizing it. They may also be redirected to another site where they are asked to provide personal information such as bank account numbers. If you receive an email with a link that does not look like it came from your company, do not click on the link. Instead, delete the message and report it to your IT team or call your IT team directly if you do not know who to report it to.
Malware
Your computer locks up and asks you for a password or credit card number before it starts again.You get pop-ups that say you have spyware or malware on your computer, and if you click yes to remove it, your browser will get hijacked by something else instead.
Your home page changes without warning so when you start your browser, you can’t go back to the site where you were surfing before. A link shows up on social media sites promising free music downloads or pornography, but if you follow the link to see what’s there, hackers might be able to take over your device and steal personal information from it.
Phishing
Phishing is a type of scam where cyber criminals attempt to steal your personal information. They do this by sending you an email that looks like it’s from someone you know or a company you trust and they trick you into clicking on links, entering your information, and giving away your credit card details.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to avoid being a victim of phishing scams: check the sender’s email address before opening any attachments or downloading files; hover over hyperlinks before clicking them; never give out your personal information online without checking the authenticity of the requestor first; don’t download software programs without knowing who created them and whether they have been verified as safe by an outside party.
Smishing
The latest scam to hit the Internet Fraud is called smishing. This term is a combination of SMS and phishing, which means that the scammer will send you text messages with an attachment or link. The idea behind smishing is that it’s difficult to tell a text message from a real phone call, so when people see one, they’ll often click on the attachment or open the link thinking it’s harmless. Scammers then use this as an opportunity to install malware onto your computer and steal personal information from your online accounts. Be wary if you receive a text message from someone asking for personal information like your password or bank account number; instead, hang up the phone or delete the text message and report the number as spam.
Vishing
A new type of phone scam, vishing, is becoming more and more popular. Vishing scams work by having a computer-generated voice call your phone number and tell you that you owe money for an unpaid bill or debt. They will then ask for personal information like your bank account number and social security number so they can take the money from your account. If you refuse, they may threaten to send the police after you.
It’s important to remember that if someone is telling you you have unpaid bills over the phone, it’s not true. If anything ever sounds too good to be true over the phone, it probably is.
Carding
Carding is a type of internet fraud where the scammer gets your bank card number, then orders goods and services from merchants. Once the goods and services are delivered, the scammer provides a fake address for delivery. When the merchant tries to process payment for their order, they’re unable to do so because the card has been reported as lost or stolen. They’ll send you an email asking for a new card number and sometimes, the amount of the purchase that was made. But by then, you may have already been hit with some hefty fees on your account.
Cyber hacking: Cyber hacking is when hackers use sophisticated software to take control of your computer to steal your data, including passwords and credit card numbers. These hacking scams typically come in the form of links or attachments in unsolicited emails that promise enticing rewards if you click them (like free music downloads). If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.