Online Scams can be done in many forms to your computer,phones or website. so this article going to cover some popular online scams and ways to prevent from it...
The use of Internet services or software with Internet access to defraud victims or to
otherwise take advantage of them, for example by stealing personal
information, which can even lead to identity theft. A very common form of Internet fraud is the distribution of rogue security software.
Internet services can be used to present fraudulent solicitations to
prospective victims, to conduct fraudulent transactions, or to transmit
the proceeds of fraud to financial institutions or to others connected
with the scheme.
Internet fraud can take many forms: identity theft, injecting malware,
fraudulent transactions. It can occur through e-mail, smartphones,
websites, and chat rooms. Here are some such scams and ways to avoid
them.
These
are the sites that are not legitimate and have malicious software to
hack your personal information. A lot of such infected sites come up
during festive season, when people are buying gifts online, and hackers
build these using popular search items. Another variation of infection
is legitimate sites that get heavy traffic and, hence, are injected with
ads and images that have viruses.
>> A good way to avoid these is to go
with familiar, popular sites or install ad blockers on your browser.
Be
very careful about the apps that you download on your phone. Android
and Apple phones are particularly vulnerable to fake apps in their
stores, and these can introduce malware that steals the datayour phone.
>> To avoid fake apps, check the users' review about the game or app before
you download it. You can also go to the developer's website and get
more information about the app before zeroing in on it. Another safe
option is to go for the most downloaded apps or those that come with the
'editor's tag'. Avoid the apps that are 'paid' but are being offered
for free, or ask for too much information.
3) International dialling
If
your Internet connection is through a modem using a local telephone
number, beware. Some sites lure people into viewing content that
requires them to download a dialler or viewer. If you do so, your
computer will be disconnectedthe Net and will instead be used to dial an
international number, resulting in high phone bills.
>> To safeguard
yourself, avoid sites that require you to download a program to view
content. You can also have your line blocked making international calls.
Also make sure your computer has anti-malware software to detect any
illegal activity.
This
is probably the oldest known scamming technique that is still going
strong. Here e-mails, purportedly sent outwell-known institutions and
social networking or payment sites, are used to draw out sensitive,
personal informationpasswords and credit card details. These mails could
also carry links to infected sites.
>> A
preventive step is to never give out personal information and call up
the company to crosscheck that the e-mail is genuine. Also scan the url
for security (use of https in the address bar means it is safe).
5) Pharming
A
combination of 'farming' and 'phishing', this term refers to the
process by which a hacker gets a domain name for a site and then uses it
to redirect this site's traffic to another, bogus website. It can comp
romise serious information and cause heavy losses if the site being
copied is that of a bank or taxation department. It can also be used to
steal passwords, PIN or account numbers.
>> The best way to prevent this is to make sure you use secure Web connections (https) to access privacy-sensitive sites.
If
you use a public Wi-Fi connection, such as at airport terminals or
coffee shops, to log into your account, you stand the risk of having
your password and private information hacked. The hacker can also access
your browsing history. This is especially true if you save the password
to your account.
>> If you are using a smartphone to access your account,
try to use the 3G or 4G connection as it is more secure.
7) Auction/shopping scams
With
online shopping and auction sites—wherein you put up household items
and gadgets for bidding and sale— becoming popular, the scope of fraud
has increased. You could be scammed out of your money by not receiving
the goods at all, getting poor quality items, or beingged more than the
price mentioned. Your credit card information could also be used
fraudulently. Besides, the seller could be defrauded if he doesn't get
any payment.
>> To avoid it, make sure you know as
much as possible about the item and seller/buyer. The latter shouldn't
have just an e-mail or a post office box address. Call him up and ask
him about the address and extrages. Also go through the feedback.
8) Investing scams
Here,
the prices of stocks are manipulated by sending out false information
about the companies through e-mails, chat forums or Internet boards.
This results in a rise or fall in the prices of stocks and the scamster
benefits by selling or buying shares at the right time. In another
variation of investing scam, which came under the Sebi scanner recently,
companies were offering 'guaranteed return' schemes through e-mails,
websites, blogs and social media platforms, and conning people out of
their money.
>> The best way to avoid it is to conduct your own research
about the company, and not invest in schemes that promise outrageous
returns.
9) Employment fraud
There
are two variants of this scam. The more common one involves job offers
by recruiters that require you to pay an advance fee or make a deposit,
without the job ever materialising. The second one typically offers you
the job of a 'representative' of an overseas company and your task is to
collect customers' deposits in your account and remit most of it to the
company abroad. In doing so, you could not only be a victim of identity
theft, but also have money stolenyour account.
>> Avoid any such offers without verifying the company and do not give out personal information.
10) Click scams
Have
you ever clicked on the game strips or dancing/jumping figures that pop
up and move across your screen while you are on social networking or
other sites?
>> Don't click on on the game strips or dancing/jumping figures . These could be fake and could lead you to click on
concealed links, which either make your personal information public or
provide access to confidential information stored on your computer.