Login

Forgot password?

We love free and open web!

Author Topic: How to Avoid internet Scams  (Read 5125 times)

Offline syncmedia123

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 14
    • View Profile
How to Avoid internet Scams
« on: November 10, 2021, 03:43:42 AM »
You can protect yourself from many of these scams by learning a few personal cybersecurity best practices. Following are some ways to avoid them.

What is internet scam?
Internet scam that involves someone pretending to be someone you know, with the intent of stealing information from you or hacking your device. Common internet scams include emails and text messages with links that, once clicked, can give a hacker access to your device.
Internet scams can also happen over the phone. These are often called scam calls. The caller pretends to be a trusted source, like a known business, and then tries to convince you to provide them information about you like your identity or credit card information to steal from you.

Ways to avoid internet scams:
Avoid opening texts and emails from sources you don’t know. Just because someone has your contact information does not mean they have a personal or professional connection to you. Ignore, delete, or block sources you don’t recognize.
In addition, be aware of the contact information. Many smartphones now alert you when there’s a suspected scam or spam call using the caller ID. If you receive an email from someone claiming to represent an organization with whom you’re a customer, but their email address doesn’t match the website URL of that company, that’s a strong sign that the person may be lying about their identity and role.
Never send money until you’ve confirmed the requester’s identity

One of the most infamous internet scams is directed at prospective homeowners. The scam involves scammers claiming to be a title company. The fake title company requests a wire payment from you for the down payment of your house. Since homes are such a large purchase, the amount being requested is often tens of thousands of dollars. And once that money is wired, there’s very little chance of ever getting it back.

Avoid giving your personal information
Another way to mitigate scams is don’t display your personal contact information in public places. When your email address or phone number are public. whether on social media or your personal website you become an easy target for scammers.
Not only does the scammer have a way to contact you, but they also can see your information within a certain personal or professional context. For example, if your email is public on social media, the scammer may be able to see who else you’re connected with, which brands and businesses you follow, and more. They can then use this information as part of their scam to make their lie more believable.

Use VPN
Strong VPN can protect against many viruses. And a browser-based virus detector may also alert you about potentially harmful emails before you open them.