Scams are everywhere, and it’s easy to not even realize you are being scammed. The problem is that scams are becoming more and more sophisticated. You no longer receive phone calls in a “foreign” accent asking for money (well they still do that but you ignore those calls now). Now most of the internet, in general, is a giant scam, and the only way to avoid getting taken advantage of is through education. With the right information at your fingertips, it shouldn’t be too difficult to spot these scams!
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Sweepstakes and Lottery Scams
Sweepstakes
Lottery Distractions, like sweepstakes and lotteries, are usually the biggest red flag for consumers. They’re often too good to be true—and in this case, they usually are. There’s no need to get excited about winning a prize unless you’ve entered yourself into the contest by submitting your name and contact information on an official website or in response to an official promotion run by a legitimate business. If you’re not sure whether something is legitimate or not, check out their site before trying your luck: that way if they’re running an illegitimate promotion (like a sweepstakes scam), you can avoid being duped again!
Fake Checks
A check scam is one of the most common types of scams, and it’s one you’re almost guaranteed to come across in your lifetime.
A fake check scam involves someone contacting a prospective victim through an online ad or email, promising them payment for an item they want to sell. The buyer then sends a fake money order or checks made out to the victim with instructions on how and where to deposit it. The buyer doesn’t actually pay with real money—they disappear after receiving their ‘purchase.’
In many cases, these checks look very much like legitimate checks and often have even been stolen from people who aren’t aware that their accounts have been compromised until it’s too late! It’s important for everyone who receives such an offer (or any other seemingly suspicious form of payment) not only because of its potential damage but also because we should all make sure our banks are protected from fraudsters with good security practices like verifying information before depositing funds into someone else’s account.”
The Nigerian Prince who wants to give you money.
One of the most common scams is when a scammer poses as a wealthy government official, or someone else with money to give away. They’ll tell you that you’re not eligible for their charity, but if you give them your bank account information, credit card number and personal information, they’ll make an exception for you.
A variation on this theme is when someone contacts you claiming to be from the Nigerian Embassy who needs your help transferring millions of dollars into your account. But first they need some sensitive personal data like your social security number, address and phone number!
Catfishing
Catfishing is the act of pretending to be someone you’re not in order to lure your victim into a relationship. This can happen on dating sites, through email or chat platforms and even via text messaging or phone calls.
In many cases of catfishing, perpetrators will use stolen images of someone else to create an online profile that shows them as the person they want their victims to believe they are. In other cases, perpetrators may use pictures from social media accounts belonging to real people who do not share the same name or face as those shown on the fake profiles.
It’s important for you as a consumer and online user to learn how scammers work so that you can protect yourself from becoming one!
Lottery & Sweepstakes scams
If you don’t win something, don’t believe it.
If you do win something, don’t believe it.
If you have to pay for something to get your winnings, don’t believe it.
If it’s a sweepstakes or lottery scam, don’t believe it!
Fake Check scams
There are many types of scams, but one of the most common is fake checks. A fake check scam is when someone tries to trick you out of money by giving you a check for more than what they owe you.
The con artist may claim that he forgot about an outstanding debt or that there was an error on his bank account. He sends a fake check as payment, asking for the difference between the amount printed on it and what he owes you. The con artist will then ask that you wire back some money so that he can cash his own phony check (often referred to as “bounce checks”).
When this happens, your bank will not honor this fraudulent document—they will not allow him access to any funds at all! This means that even if there are other funds in your account, any attempts by him to access them will fail due to their inability or unwillingness to pay out high-value items such as large-denomination checks like these ones were supposed too – usually because they don’t exist at all!
Grandparent & Emergency scams
One of the most common types of scam involves scammers pretending to be your grandchildren or other relatives. They might say they are stuck in a foreign country and need money wired immediately, or that their parents are dead and they need money for funeral expenses. These types of scams usually involve some sort of fabricated emergency that requires immediate attention.
Do your research and avoid all of these common scams!
Do your research and avoid all of these common scams!
By using the internet to do your research, you can avoid being a victim.
Do not send money to people you don’t know.
Never give out personal information or credit card information over the phone unless it’s absolutely necessary (and even then, be suspicious).
Conclusion
We hope this article helped to make you aware of the most common scams on the internet and how to avoid them. If you have received an email, text, or phone call that seems suspicious, research it! Use what we have taught you in this blogpost and be wary of any emails asking for your personal information (like credit card information). If you are ever unsure about something, contact us and ask us questions. We would love to help.
