How to protect yourself from online scams
With every day, online scams are becoming more and more prevalent in our lives. Con artists and scammers are finding new ways to use the constantly changing technology to steal your information and money.
In 2019 alone, scams have cost Americans $118,530,935. This money is coming from innocent people who have been manipulated or simply clicked on one bad link.
The best way to avoid becoming a victim of one of these scams is to stay informed. Knowing what to look out for and what to do if you stumble across a potential scam can save you a lot of money, time, and headaches.
What types of scams should you look out for?
The first step to protecting yourself against online scams is knowing what to actually look out for. Unfortunately, technology moves so fast that these scams are constantly adapting and evolving. That said, the basic method behind these scams remain the same.
We have compiled a list of the most common online scams. Familiarizing yourself with this list will give you a good start on protecting yourself online.
Charity fraud
After major disasters, fake charity websites will begin popping up all over the place. Before you donate, do your research. Any legitimate charity will have their mission statement and tax-exemption documentation readily available. Avoid donating to individuals on sites like GoFundMe that are claiming to donate the money raised towards relief funds, as these often turn out to be scams. Only donate to charities that you know to be legitimate.
IRS Scams
You get an email from the IRS claiming that you will be arrested if you do not pay a certain amount immediately. Remember that the IRS will NEVER email or call you. They will only send you correspondence through the mail. If you get an email claiming to be from the IRS, send it to spam where it belongs.
Typically these emails will also claim that you can pay your taxes through wire transfers, checks, and even gift cards. If you see this, know immediately that the email is fake and delete it.
Fake computer repair
This is a scam where someone will reach out to you claiming to be from Microsoft or Apple, and tell you that your computer has viruses or needs to be cleaned up. They have you install software that allows them to gain access to your computer where they are then able to access all of your personal information and install any sort of malware that they want onto your computer. Just remember that your computer company will never contact you to tell you that there is a problem with your computer. There is no way for them to even know if your computer is having problems unless you contact them.
Catfishing scams
This scam has been around since the very first online dating site. You meet someone online and things seem to be going really well. Then, they ask you for some money to help out with an emergency, and because you trust them, you give them the money. Then they disappear. A good rule of thumb is to just never give money to someone that you have not met in person.
Employment scams
With the rise of sites like LinkedIn, employment scams have skyrocketed. In this scam, you will get an email offering you a job that you never applied for. Typically, it will be something like a secret shopper or survey job. When they send you your first paycheck, it will be a lot higher than it should be. They will claim it was a mistake and ask you to deposit the check and send them the difference. The check will then bounce, and you will be out whatever money you sent them.
Fake hotspot
When you go to public spaces like airports and coffee shops, there is a chance that someone has set up a fake hotspot. They create this hotspot to look like the one offered by the business. When you connect to it, they are able to access all of your personal information. When connecting to public wifi, just be extra careful that you are connecting to a reputable wifi service and not a hotspot.
“Free” trial scams
This is another scam that has been around for a long time and isn’t going away any time soon. Typically, you get an ad on a social media platform like Instagram saying that you’re eligible for a free trial for some sort of subscription service. You’re only asked to pay a small fee for shipping. What you don’t see is the fine print stating that by signing up for this “free” trial, you will agree to pay a monthly fee forever. This type of scam is very malicious and causes a lot of stress and headaches. A best practice is to just avoid these free trials altogether.
Lottery scams
You might have heard of this one before. You get an email saying that you won a lottery that you never heard of. They ask that you “pay your taxes” to them on the winnings, and they will release the money to you. Of course, once you send them the money, you will never hear from them again.
So, how do you protect yourself?
Think before you click
Before you click on any sort of links (whether they’re articles on Facebook, links in your email, or ads on a website), take a second to look at the link. Is it coming from a trusted source? If the answer is no, then it is best to move along.
Do your research
If you get an email or ad from a company or person that you don’t recognize, give them a quick Google search. Using the free trial scam as an example, a quick Google search can save you a lot of headaches, as outlined in this Vox article. In the article they mentioned a company called FITFIRM Face Cream that has multiple complaints of being a scam. I went into Google and typed in was “FITFIRM Face Cream,” and the very first result was this listing from the Better Business Bureau that had endless complaints. Taking a second to hop on Google can save you from falling for a scam.
Slow down!
Scammers will often pressure you to make a decision quick because they know that if you take a minute to think about it, you will figure out that they are a fraud. If someone or a website online is using fear or too-good-to-be-true offers to try and get you to make a decision, take a step back and slow down. Never feel pressured to give out your personal or bank information. If someone is pushing you, that is a clear sign that there is something wrong.
Only pay for online products using a credit card
Credit cards have fraud protection, while most debit and gift cards do not. Before purchasing, think about how they are asking you to pay. No legitimate company would only let you pay through a gift card or wire transfer.
Stay informed
Scams are changing constantly. Make an effort to stay up-to-date on the types of scams popping up so that you can spot them more easily.