Every year millions of internet users fall victim to online fraud. In 2010 the UK Serious Crime Agency estimated that online fraud cost the UK in excess of £3.5 billion and that 11% of the UK’s online community had been a victim of online fraud. These figures have continued to grow, and last week major Social Networking giant LinkedIn announced that scammers are using the site to carry out an age old scamming technique, called garden-variety scamming. Online scams are not just isolated to the UK, NBC (America) announced today (15/5/2013) that older women are increasingly falling victim to a new wave of romance scams. This worrying increase in romance scams coincided with a report from the federal authorities that detailed an 8% rise in U.S. internet crime in 2012.
With internet crime on the rise and costing internet users billions of pounds each year, here are five of the most common internet scams you should be vigilante of in 2013.
Disaster relief scams
As it says in the description scammers are now stooping so low, they are willing to cash in on disasters. Previous disasters that scammers have used to cash in on have included hurricane Katrina, The Boxing Day Tsunami and more recently the Boston bombing. This scam works by taking advantage of good people’s generosity.
Scammers start by requesting a donation to give relief to victims of disasters via email, unwittingly people will think they are giving to a good cause but in actual fact are just giving their bank details to scammers. To prevent yourself becoming a victim of such crime, only donate to reputable charity organisations via their website.
The Nigerian scam
Most of us have received an email from a poverty struck Nigerian scammer who requires money to leave the country to escape persecution. Another common strategy used by Nigerian scammers is to put on pretence that they are a super wealthy family who need to release large sums of money from the country in order to leave the money to a good church. The scammers will request money from victims for “legal” costs and promise them huge returns as a thank you. Of course victims will never see this money and most worryingly this scam isn’t even new, it was known as the Spanish Prisoner scam way back in the 1920’s. Remember –If it’s too good to be true, it is.
Phishing emails
Phishing scams have been plaguing the internet for many years now and are by far the most common internet crime. Phishing works by luring victims into releasing their personal details and passwords through phony web pages or emails. Victims will unknowingly insert their bank details and passwords into realistic web pages from big name companies such as PayPal, Visa and MasterCard. Scammers will then use these details to filter out all of the victim’s money from their accounts. Protect yourself from phishing scams by installing up to date internet security software that blocks rogue sites, and provides fraud awareness training with the software.
Advanced fees paid for a guaranteed loan or credit card
In the current climate banks are reluctant to lend money to consumers, with this in mind scammers have begun to target consumers with promises of guaranteed loans and credit with one small advanced fee (credit cards never apply a sign-up charge). Obviously the consumer will never see the loan after their down payment and the only one to win is the conman.
Lottery scams
Everyone dreams of winning the lottery and scammers know this all too well. The lottery scam works by fraudsters sending out an email to unsuspecting victims telling them that they have won the lottery. The email then instructs users to send a transaction fee to release their winnings. Of course the victim never receives any money as they obviously haven’t won, keep vigilante and remember if you do win you shouldn’t have to pay to receive your prize.
With internet crime on the rise and costing internet users billions of pounds each year, here are five of the most common internet scams you should be vigilante of in 2013.
Disaster relief scams
As it says in the description scammers are now stooping so low, they are willing to cash in on disasters. Previous disasters that scammers have used to cash in on have included hurricane Katrina, The Boxing Day Tsunami and more recently the Boston bombing. This scam works by taking advantage of good people’s generosity.Scammers start by requesting a donation to give relief to victims of disasters via email, unwittingly people will think they are giving to a good cause but in actual fact are just giving their bank details to scammers. To prevent yourself becoming a victim of such crime, only donate to reputable charity organisations via their website.
The Nigerian scam
Most of us have received an email from a poverty struck Nigerian scammer who requires money to leave the country to escape persecution. Another common strategy used by Nigerian scammers is to put on pretence that they are a super wealthy family who need to release large sums of money from the country in order to leave the money to a good church. The scammers will request money from victims for “legal” costs and promise them huge returns as a thank you. Of course victims will never see this money and most worryingly this scam isn’t even new, it was known as the Spanish Prisoner scam way back in the 1920’s. Remember –If it’s too good to be true, it is.
Phishing scams have been plaguing the internet for many years now and are by far the most common internet crime. Phishing works by luring victims into releasing their personal details and passwords through phony web pages or emails. Victims will unknowingly insert their bank details and passwords into realistic web pages from big name companies such as PayPal, Visa and MasterCard. Scammers will then use these details to filter out all of the victim’s money from their accounts. Protect yourself from phishing scams by installing up to date internet security software that blocks rogue sites, and provides fraud awareness training with the software.
Advanced fees paid for a guaranteed loan or credit card
In the current climate banks are reluctant to lend money to consumers, with this in mind scammers have begun to target consumers with promises of guaranteed loans and credit with one small advanced fee (credit cards never apply a sign-up charge). Obviously the consumer will never see the loan after their down payment and the only one to win is the conman.
Lottery scams
Everyone dreams of winning the lottery and scammers know this all too well. The lottery scam works by fraudsters sending out an email to unsuspecting victims telling them that they have won the lottery. The email then instructs users to send a transaction fee to release their winnings. Of course the victim never receives any money as they obviously haven’t won, keep vigilante and remember if you do win you shouldn’t have to pay to receive your prize.
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