Online scammers are prevalent all over the web using social engineering to scam you via email, social media, or online dating. To make sure you’re well informed, and unlikely to be a victim, be aware of these key signs that someone is trying to dupe you;
You Get Offered Money
There are a lot of email scams with that “too good to be true”, or even believable, factor. Any message you receive from a stranger that’s offering you money is a scam. This is doubly true if the money promised is in exchange for doing a job or task of some kind. No one is going to email you out of the blue offering you a job or “business opportunity”.
Your Personal Details Are Requested
Identity theft has become an incredibly prevalent and widespread crime. Basic data like your email is like gold to a hacker and can open doors to financial accounts, social security information, and ultimately stealing your identity. Take time to consider if the personal details being asked of you match the situation.
Your Online Love Interest Needs Financial Assistance
Online dating is a very popular means to find love, and consequently a hotbed for scammers. They’ll draw in other users with heartfelt messages before asking for financial assistance. The best way to stay safe is to never send money or personal information to someone that you haven’t met before. Remember, not everyone is who they say they are and fake profiles are created all the time specifically to trick you.
Messages Are Hard To Read
An email from a legitimate company is very likely to have been proofread by a professional. Typos can happen, but beware if the sentences are barely legible. In short, the format of the message has to match the standards you’d expect from the company.
Trust Your Gut
If something seems shady, then it probably is. Scammers are heartless people that have no qualms preying on the vulnerable or naive. The most successful scams prey on basic human desires such as money, attention, or companionship. If you fall victim to a scam, don’t blame or berate yourself too harshly. Instead, learn from the experience, don’t make the same mistake twice, and remember to exert more caution in the future.
Stay Safe
- Follow these additional tips to online safety
- Report scams to relevant authorities. If it occurs on a dating site, for example, you should be able to notify the administrators, so that they can ban the scammer’s account.
- Run a regular FixMeStick scan! We recommend monthly!
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