Although scams are commonplace online, this doesn’t make them non-threatening. We’ve become accustomed to the online threats that exist when using the computer, including email scams and hackers. Knowing how to identify a scam is the best way to protect yourself.
Some scams are easily identifiable, while others are not. But even for those that look suspicious, they can also look enticing, which is why people click on them. If you have a family member or friend that may not know the warning signs of a scam, be sure to share this information with him or her. Not everyone is aware of the amount of scam messages on the internet these days.
Here’s some telltale signs of a scam:
- Alarming, threatening messages, such as those that say you’re account is about to be closed
- Promises of large amounts of money for doing nothing
- Poor grammar, misspellings
- Charity requests asking for a donation after a natural disaster
- Amazing deals that are too good to be true, such as free laptops, iPads and cell phones
Scams can come in many forms. They can be emailed to you and show up in your inbox, they can be posted on your friends’ Facebook walls or Twitter posts or they can be displayed as advertisements.
Your best defense: Do not click on the link. If you happen to, exit out immediately and do not input any requested information such as your name and email. You can also consider having identity theft protection software installed on your computer.
If you believe you may have been a victim of a scam, you’ll need to take the necessary steps to contact your bank, put a fraud alert warning on your account and perhaps close accounts that were compromised.
Image: clipartof.com
Source: Microsoft
