Cybersecurity 101: Safeguarding Against The Most Popular Scams
Scams have been around for centuries, and people get trapped in frauds where they get false promises or get lured by the hype. But, after digitization, people are duped frequently and tricked into scams, as many online users cannot identify between a real offer and a digital fraud.
As millions of users participate in digitization and connect with the world digitally, it raises concerns for internet safety and makes the internet vulnerable to fraud. Which the con artists took advantage of and exploited the digital world, as cybercrimes skyrocketed over the period.
Cybersecurity has become quite important as the threat is not only for users; fraudsters also target big companies, which can significantly affect the economy of the nation. Cybersecurity is important in our current society as it offers a line of defense against cyber threats.
In this article, we will learn about the types of scams a user can deal with in the digital world, how people can safeguard themselves, and, if they encounter scams, where to report them. With further ado, let’s begin.
Types of online scams
In the digital world, fraudsters have exploited every sector; either they have enticed users with luring offers or trapped them with lies and false promises. Fraudsters use various types of methods to entice users, each designed to deceive and manipulate the user into falling for it. Here are some of the most famous types of online scams:
Phishing Scams
Phishing scams are one of the most popular online scams of all time, as they are practiced by most con artists and used in every sector to dupe people. This scam involves emails, texts, or messages.
In phishing scams, the goal of the perpetrator is to gather the sensitive information of the victims and use it to generate profit or sell it on the dark web. They make the messages and attach a link to the message or emails; that link redirects them to a legit-looking website.
Most of these websites ask them to register, where the victims have to share all their sensitive information. Many of these fraudulent websites ask for Social Security numbers or bank details, which makes the users vulnerable to identity theft. To safeguard yourself from these scams, you have to read the messages carefully, look out for grammatical mistakes, or directly open the official website.
Advance Fee Scams
Advance fee scams, or upfront fee scams, are frauds in which the con artist plays with the emotions of the victims and uses their needs to generate profit. Generally, these scams are reported by students, job seekers, or borrowers.
If someone is in need of a job and they come across some fraudulent applications that provide one, the job seeker will definitely go for it. The catch will be that the applications will ask for an advance fee to suggest a good job. In such a case, job seekers tend to pay upfront fees, but they never get the desired results.
Romance scams
Romance scams are one of the hot topics currently, with a growing dating industry and people getting connected globally. It made social media and dating applications more vulnerable to such scams.
Some of the fraudsters chose their target and gathered their information from social media, and after connecting, they used such information to impress them. In a romance scam, fraudsters are in touch for a brief period, gain the victim’s trust, but later ask for money and vanish in thin air.
Lottery or price scams
Lottery or price scams are one of the most enticing scams of all time. There is a high probability that users get enticed into these scams and lose a huge chunk of their hard-earned money.
On social media platforms, there are large numbers of give-aways or lottery schemes marketed to lure more users. In some scams, to avail the price, users have to register, and to prove the legitimacy of the account, they have to transfer a small amount.
These lead to data theft, which is later used for identity fraud or sold on the dark web. Even they use these data to apply for a new credit card and use all of the money. In many such scams, they do ask for upfront fees, such as a registration or entry fee.
Identity Theft
Identity theft is one of the most common crimes in the digital industry. Most scams lead to identity theft, where the fraudster uses the sensitive details of the victim and misleads the brand or financial institution to get funds.
Malicious cyber activities tend to grow at a faster rate as they gain access to sensitive information and misuse it. Until the cyberattack is recognized and we take appropriate action, the damage is already done. Thus, protecting our data is viatel. Let’s further discuss how we can safeguard ourselves from scams.
How to safeguard yourself from scams?
Scams cannot be eliminated in one day. The government has taken the initiative to stop the crime, but it will take time, and most of the scams can be avoided if the victims are aware. The missing piece to stop the wide spread of scams is awareness about the fraud. If you want to safeguard yourself from scams, there are a few steps you can follow.
Educate Yourself
Educating yourself can be a key factor in protecting against cybercrime. If you share your personal details on some platforms, you should read their policies and understand their rules and what they do with the details.
If you are operating in finance and you have to do transactions with third-party applications, do proper research from your end. Read the news to learn about the market, recent scams, and more.
Be Skeptical
You should be skeptical of the offers you receive. A fraudster will try to entice you by offering too-good-to be true offers and promising you high returns with low risk. Such schemes make many investors fall for their scams and end up losing fortunes.
Verify Contacts
Scamers usually spam emails and text messages randomly, and the messages are designed in such a way that they look important. Opening a link or downloading anything from an unverified number can be harmful. Always verify the source first; cross-check the details and other information.
Secure online accounts
Multiple-factor authentication is introduced to protect your online accounts and give access only to the owner. For social media and other applications, you can opt for two-factor authentication, which will prevent scammers from breaching your account.
Research Investments
Fraudsters will flood social media and other platforms with investment opportunity advertisements; they just want to make sure many people invest in their fraudulent product or investment option. As an investor, you have to check whether the investment is legit or not. Do proper research and cross-check with genuine resources.
Beware of emotional manipulation.
Many fraudsters reach out via cold calling or texting, and they will try to push you to invest by overhyping the assets and the available opportunities in the market. They will claim that the investment will build your future and make more false promises, but during such a conversation, you have to think straight or cut off the conversation.
Monitor your accounts
There are many cases where people were defrauded and learned about the scam after their bank accounts were wiped clean. To avoid such scenarios, you should periodically check your account transactions and look at the statement. Any unusual behavior can lead to a potential scam; it’s better to report such issues in advance.
Stay Updated
Last but not least, as users of the internet, you have to keep up with market trends and watch the news. It will help you understand market behavior and different scams. So it will keep you alert in advance about any such issues in the future.
Where to report such scams?
To counter the cyberattacks, the government has created many regulatory bodies, and there are many private firms that can help victims of fraud. Listed below are the sources where you can report scams.
- Law enforcement
- Internet Crime Complaint Center
- Platform/Financial Institution
- Federal Trade Commission
- Better Business Bureau
Conclusion
Concluding the article, I hope it has helped you gain some knowledge about scams and how to protect yourself from them. In a world where innovation and technology advance at an unpredicted pace, you have to keep yourself updated. Consistent learning can keep you ahead of scammers.
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