Nowadays, scammers operate sophisticatedly and have their way to make you think they are the right company or person at the right time. If you want to invest, the get rich overnight scheme could find you. You ordered something online. Well, you need to pay straight away and only use the predetermined courier service. These are just several ways they operate. Let’s take a closer look at it.
Types of financial scams
Credit card fraud
Instead of buying fancy cars or 4K TVs, the new trend among credit card thieves is to make modest purchases – groceries, gas, monthly payments – more likely to go unnoticed. For example, one of our colleagues paid for six months without noticing an incidental Netflix subscription fee; she did subscribe to Netflix, but the subscription fees were paid with another credit card.
What to do in this case? Download a mobile app that alerts you every time a purchase is posted to your account. Be on the lookout for suspicious small purchases; scammers often make the first purchase of $ 1 just to check if the credit card is valid before using it for larger purchases.
The loved one is in difficulty.
In this scam, someone calls the victim and poses as a family member (in many cases a grandson or granddaughter), claiming to be in difficulty abroad. The scammer requests a wire transfer of funds, which allows them to remain anonymous throughout the process.
What to do if this happens? Ask the person to call you back in about ten minutes. In the meantime, check to see if the family member the person claims to be is actually abroad or if, on the contrary, they are safe at home.
In some cases, scammers know (through social media) that the person is abroad. To make sure the person is who they are, ask them a few questions that only family members know the answers to. If the person dodges the question or is unable to answer it, do not send money.
Phishing email
Have you ever got an email from a distant relative you didn’t know existed who offered you a large amount of money? There are many phishing methods. Scammers use various seemingly legitimate messages like these: “Your account has been hacked – log in to restore your access rights”, “– click here to get your price”, or “You have a new message in your bank account inbox”. After you click on the link, if you enter your account access data, the fraudster can use it to access your personal information or your money.
If you receive an email from an unknown person making you a big deal, intimidating you, or prompting you to act on the spot, it is probably a phishing attempt. Do not provide any information, click on any links, or open any email attachments. Simply delete it.
In Conclusion
It might seem frightening all we explained here to you. But the chances are high that anyone could fall victim once in a lifetime from the bogus company, some tech thievery culprit, bogus message or call operator.
Already knowing these exist and are looming around every corner of the internet and email service is already encouraging. Knowing how these operate and spot them on time saves you many adversities related to their dishonest offers.
However, make sure never giveaway your financial details, sensitive info regarding you and your family members. Also, if you fall on a visit, report the scammer to the police and financial authorities. Always keep track of your conversations and screenshots of everything related to your communication.