5 Most Common Online Scams
When browsing the internet there is a pretty chance that you could encounter some sort of online scam. And with how creative hackers and scammers are getting the chance that you realize is even slimmer. To help you better identify these possible scams we are going to explain to you five of the most popular online scams and how to protect yourself from them. Education is the key in ensuring cyber security!
The 5 Scams and How to Spot Them
- The first common online scam and one that can be tricky to detect are copycat sites. These are fake websites that replicate real websites you may visit in order to steal your information. These websites can be faking a government entity and request official documents or a credit card sign up page for a service like a tv subscription. The site looks identical to one you have visited before but you may notice slight differences in things than previous encounters. Maybe there is an extra information field that you would not normally enter, or you have already entered your credit card for a subscription and should not need to do it again.There are a few thing to watch out for the first being is in the address bar ensure that there is https:// in it and not http:// (S stands for secure!). Although this does not guarantee it is not a scam it is one step in the right direction. Watch for poor grammar or spelling as there were most likely not be mistakes on an official website. And if it seems too good to be true then stay far away from giving any information to the site.
- The second scam we are gonna discuss is catfishing, which is common and talked about quite a lot but it can still be tricky to spot them out. A catfish is someone who uses another person's photos online and poses as not themselves. A lot of the time they will use photos of celebrities with a made up personality and name (or even the celeb!). The desired outcome varies from catfish to catfish, some may be looking to steal information, money or embarrass you. The best way to avoid catfishes is to not be too trusting online, don’t send money to people you don't know and don’t accept friend requests from random people.
- Fake giveaways have been prevalent on many social media networks lately such as instagram. Non-reputable accounts will copy reputable accounts when they are hosting legitimate giveaways in order to steal your information. These giveaways can look exactly like the ones the real accounts are posting about but there are a few ways you can point them out. First is to check if it is the official account of the host that is posting, if it isn’t then you should not give them any of your information. The second way to tell is if they are asking for any form of payment, most gemiume giveaways are free to enter. Always make sure to report fake giveaways when you come across them to help out others!
- The fourth common scam that we see is fake storefronts! There are ads for these wherever you are browsing online. Generally these are websites that are selling products that are normally quite expensive like a designer purse or shoes for a fraction price. They also frequently will “sell” popular products that are difficult to find at a low cost. You usually will pay for however much the site is selling for, and then end up not receiving the product or something completely different. As well as they now have your credit card information. You can use a website checker to check the validity of the site, or look for a trust seal. Your browser will also often notify you if a website isn’t legitimate.
- Finally, the last frequently seen online scam is fake charities. Online you can find charities for any cause you can think of but not all of them are legitimate. They may take your money without a second thought and not actually put it towards the cause you intended. You can protect yourself by checking a registered charity database, only donating locally and donating to well known organizations. You can also report fake charities to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
These are all easy ways in which you can protect yourself and information online. We at Kids Shield strive to help you to understand how to improve your personal cyber security. Check out our other blogs, and sign up for our email list for more information and resources.
