Common Online Scams Used by Criminals to Trick You

Common Online Scams Used by Criminals to Trick You: The Internet has provided incredible opportunities that have completely changed how people live. The reference to the world as a global village is now true because you now have a chance of being in touch with someone who thousands of mile away and converse with them as if they were in the same room with you. The same has also been reflected in businesses where it is now possible to transact with people in part of the world so long as they have access to the internet.

Common Online Scams Used by Criminals to Trick You

But in as much as the internet has brought a lot of conveniences, it has also provided a fertile hunting ground for criminals who take advantage of reckless and naïve people to scam them. If you have ever asked yourself how to get free Amazon gift cardsor tried to buy stuff over the internet, then you have a small understanding of the magnitude of online scams. But the good news is most of the methods used by the scammers are now known and to stay safe, all you have to do is know how to identify them and be able to smell them from miles away. Here are some of the scams that online fraudsters use all the time to trick innocent people. 

1. Phishing Email Scams

This is one of the favorite tricks by the scammers, and millions of people have fallen for this trick. It is usually executed so smartly and convincingly that if you are not aware, you will find yourself falling a victim now and then. With phishing email scams, you will receive an email in your inbox or on your social media pages asking to give certain login credentials. If you make the mistake of giving out your login details, then the scammers will use them to gain access to your accounts at will, and they can do very serious damages to you. They may pretend that they are from your bank and they need you to provide current details so that they can manage your account in a way that only they understand. To avoid this scam, you must never share your details with anyone via such means. The only person who should have your log in details to any website or account is you, and any other person will be fraud.

2. Job Offer Scams

Job offer scams are also very rampant online. These scammers know that millions of people are in need of jobs or finding better jobs and so they take the advantage to rip them off. With job offer scams, you will receive an invitation to apply for specific fictitious positions in the well reputable organization, and unless you are keen, these scams can sometimes appear to be so genuine. During the application process, you will be asked to provide your details just as you would normally do when making actual application, then somewhere along the process, you will be asked to send some money for processing your application or facilitating your interview. This is where most of the people fall for these scams. To avoid them, just know that people don’t pay to be given jobs and if you have any doubts about job offers, always feel free to call the company and ask if they had advertised for position to verify the claims. In most cases, you will find nothing.

3. Lottery Scams

With lottery scams, you will get an email or a social media message informing you of a lottery win you have never heard about and which you never participated in. It could be in another country, and as usual, the amount you will be told that you won will always be very huge. Then they will then ask you to send your personal details so that they can verify if it is really you and with that, you shall have lost your identity to someone else.

You become the newest victim of identity theft. Alternatively, they may ask you to send them some money which they will then use to release your lottery. If you make a mistake of sending even a dime, you shall have been scammed. Just know that you can’t win a lottery you never entered, and even if you entered and won, no one will ever ask you to give them money to release your winnings. If you are gambling, you also ought to be very careful with this kind of scam. Always ensure that you read the casino reviews before you start starting your gambling sites.

4. Beneficiary scams

Beneficiary scams are very common in West African countries, especially Nigerians and Ghanaians. You will receive an email telling you that the sender is a beneficiary of a huge estate or a vast sum of money and that they need your assistance to help them access their possession. They will always try to explain that they have no other person, maybe they are orphans without any relatives and that you are the only person who can help them access their inheritance. In return, the will promise to give you a huge sum of money that will make you never think about how to get free Amazon gift cards. If you play along, they will ask for your details so that they can start processing the estate and sometimes ask you for money to facilitate the process and promise to give you back your money when they access their wealth. Eventually, you will end up a victim of identity theft, lose your money and if you travel to where they are to help them, you could be kidnapped, and a huge ransom will be asked.

5. Online dating scams

People search for love online all the time and dating field is now one of the ripe arenas for scams. You meet someone on the dating sites, and they tell you how they are in love with you. You start getting to know each other without an idea that the person on the other side of the screen isn’t interested in loving you but, hell-bent on scamming you. Then they will begin to ask you for money or that you send to them some of your intimate photos. And because love is such a powerful emotion, people fall for it and end up getting scammed. Just be cautious when you are on the dating sites, and even if someone tells you they know natural ways of how to get free Amazon gift cards to win your trust, never let your guards down.

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