Online scams take many forms. Scams such as the Revolut scam text often involve offers that are too good to be true, such as credit card or loan deals from banks or bogus trial offers.
These scams can also be based upon false celebrity endorsements, or hacking which redirects you to an illusory website in order to steal your personal information. Always be cautious of any unsolicited communication that asks for your personal or financial details and use trusted antivirus software to protect your devices.
Scams involving advance fees
In advance fee scams, fraudsters will convince their victims they’ve won a lottery, inherited money, or that they are eligible for a lucrative investment opportunity. The scammers then ask for an upfront fee, usually in the form money orders or wire transfers. Scammers use these payment methods because they are often irreversible. They also make it difficult to trace where the funds go once they’re sent away from a victim’s bank account.
Fraudsters use a wide range of tactics to manipulate their victims, such as impersonating government officials and financial institutions. They may also pretend to be a celebrity, businessman, or wealthy individual. Criminals can make a lot of money with this type of scam. Some schemes generate millions in a very short time.
This type of scam begins with a criminal contacting potential targets by phone, email or social media. They will usually pretend to be a government official or financial institution, or even a celebrity and tell the victim they have won a lottery, inherited money or been selected for an investment opportunity. The criminals then ask for an upfront payment, claiming that it is required to release or process the promised funds. The criminals then proceed to elicit further fees and present more complicated “problems” that require further payments.
Scams involving advance-fee loans prey on people with poor credit or who are desperate to get a cash loan. They may post ads online or call with a promise to provide loans, credit cards and other financial products to anyone who pays an up front fee. They can also purchase lists of names on websites or apps where users can search for loans and apply.
Check your bank accounts frequently to detect suspicious transactions. If you think you’ve received a suspicious payment, don’t hesitate to report the scam to the authorities. Never give out your financial or personal information to anyone you don’t know, and exercise caution when buying products or services advertised in social media.
Fake websites
Every day, tens of thousands of fake sites are built to trick Internet surfers into giving out personal information, buying products they don’t have, or downloading malware, which can disrupt their devices and data. They can be standalone websites or unauthorized overlays which attack victims by clickingjacking legitimate websites.
Some of the worst fake sites look legitimate. They display logos and branding for trusted companies. These phishing web sites use psychological tricks, high-pressure sales tactics and other techniques to lure in unwary victims. For example, they often use urgent or fear-inducing language to hurry the victim into providing personal information or making a rash purchase. They also offer products at rock-bottom prices to trigger the “fear of losing out” (FOMO) in consumers.
It’s easy to identify fake websites if you know the warning signs. Using a website checker, such as Google’s Transparency Report, will provide you with key details like the registered company name, country of origin, province or state, and locality. Other red flags include poor grammar and spelling, pixelated or low quality images and logos, awkward and difficult site designs, and missing sections like an ‘About Us,’ phone number, or physical addresses. Be wary of sites that only provide contact information in a generic form, or don’t display business licenses or registrations.
Search engines can also be used to identify fake websites by entering parts of the URL that are easily recognisable with the words “site” or “scam”. This can lead to posts from communities warning people about scam websites impersonating popular brands. Reporting any suspicious websites is also a good thing to do. Cybercrime reporting helps cybersecurity companies, like antivirus firms and network service providers, take down fake web sites. Then, they can add them to blocklists of software scanners and prevent them from being accessed again. The quicker a site is taken down, the more people will report it.
Messaging app scams
If you receive a message with an unusual request for money, a prize, or a bid for love, don’t respond. These messages may be scams. Scammers use messaging apps impersonating trusted people or businesses to ask victims for their personal details. They also target their users with malicious links and files that download malware and steal data.
In in-app chat scams, cybercriminals pretend to be customer support representatives or other well-known entities, and often create a sense of urgency to prompt users to take immediate action. They may claim to be a customer support representative or to need access to the user’s device in order to resolve a problem. They might also trick users into downloading fake apps or paying for services they don’t need.
Employment scams is another type of fraud that occurs through messaging apps. Criminals send fake job offers to lure victims into sending personal information or money for training and materials. These scams are easy to spot, with warning signs including random job offers and unprofessional messages.
The most dangerous messaging app frauds are phishing scams, where a person pretends to be a bank or other financial institution. These scams are a major problem because they often lead to lost funds and stolen credit card numbers. According to SlickText, the number of reports of phishing scams involving text messages nearly doubled last year.
Many people have reported giving their money or personal details to these scammers. Some have even reported that their Social Security numbers were stolen. The best way to avoid this scam is to never give your information out on unsecured channels or to anyone you don’t know.
If you get a message that claims to be from your own bank, contact it to start the spam protocol. If you have already provided your information to a fraudster, cancel any cards linked to the account and use cybersecurity tools that protect against malware.
Competition scams
Scammers create competitions using brand names on social media to attract potential victims. The scammer will create a fake competition on their social media page, with prizes such as cash, vouchers or cars. The scammer will then contact those who have entered the competition and ask them to pay money for the ‘release of their prize’ or shipping costs. Scammers will keep any money received by the victim and never give it to them.
The heightened use of online platforms has led to an increase in the number and range of fraud types. Participants reported a wide range of online fraud including advance fee fraud approaches, such as romance and lotteries scams, and fraudulent investment opportunities. These scams are more likely aimed at people who are under financial stress, young adults and those with low financial literacy.
Most people have heard the old saying “if it sounds too good to true, it most likely is”. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, especially when it comes to sweepstakes and contests. Thousands of people are affected by these types of scams each year, often due to their FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).
The classic example of this type of scam involves a letter notifying the recipient that they have won a prize such as an iPad or a car. The letter will tell them that they need to complete a form and return it with a fee in order to claim their prize. Once the form is sent and the fee paid, the recipient won’t receive their prize. Any personal information that they provide will be used to scam them.
Scammers are becoming increasingly creative when it comes to the way they conduct their business. They may, for example, pretend to be a member of a government agency such as the Australian Tax Office or the police. This is because they know that many people will look up these agencies on the internet and they can use this to their advantage. In some cases the scammer may even give their phone number to potential victims so they can call and make an appointment. This is a great way to lure in people and make them feel like they are dealing with a trusted source.
