Many of us spend a significant amount of time online working, socialising, consuming entertainment and purchasing in online stores, among other activities. This extensive online presence has made the internet a prime target for scammers who prey on unsuspecting individuals. Over time, these scams have become increasingly sophisticated, with fraudsters developing more convincing schemes that people are likely to fall for.

In this article, we will outline five common scams and frauds to watch out for, along with tips to help ensure you don't become a victim.

Vishing, Smishing and Phishing

The basis of these attacks is to mislead the user into clicking or engaging with the wrong person and divulging sensitive information by creating a sense of panic or urgency to take action. Each of these uses a different medium but achieve the same outcome:

• Phishing: emails are used to encourage users to click on links that lead to fraudulent websites, with the hope that you disclose login information, banking details and other sensitive information.

• Vishing: phone calls are used to impersonate reputable entities such as financial institutions, government agencies, etc. The intent is to create panic so that you comply with instructions such as transferring funds or disclosing sensitive information.

• Smishing: phishing carried out via SMS text messages. The sender poses as a reputable entity and convinces you to take action by clicking on a malicious link, with the hope that you disclose login information, banking details or other sensitive information.

These attack methods are dangerous because you can end up disclosing sensitive information, leading to account hijacking, identity theft and other undesirable outcomes. 

How to Avoid Vishing, Smishing, and Phishing Attacks

1. Avoid Clicking on Suspicious or Unexpected Links: Be cautious of links contained within emails, text messages, social media messages, and other online communications. If something seems off or you weren't expecting a message, it's best not to click on any links.

2. Verify the Legitimacy of Messages: If you are unsure whether a message is legitimate, contact the organisation directly using a verified phone number or official website. Do not use the contact information provided in the suspicious message.

3. Examine the Sender's Information: Check the sender's email address, phone number, or social media profile carefully. Scammers often use addresses or numbers that are similar to legitimate ones, but with slight differences that can be easy to miss at a glance. If something seems unusual, it probably is.

Impersonation Scams (Identity Theft)

This attack relies upon you trusting an imposter pretending to be a trusted source and attempting to pressure you into completing an action such as transferring funds, withdrawing cash, or giving sensitive information, amongst other things. In these cases, verify that the source you believe you’re talking to is genuine. 

Impersonation scams are increasingly common and can have devastating consequences, like financial loss, for example, ‘the courier scam’ where individuals posing as your bank convince you that your account is in danger and suggest a courier to collect your funds to move into another account. 

How to Avoid Impersonation Scams

1. Verify Requests Directly: Always contact the organisation directly to verify any request. Use a separate means of communication, such as a different phone, and obtain contact details from the official website, not from the suspicious message.

2. Protect Sensitive Information: Never provide sensitive information until you have confirmed the identity of the person or organisation you are dealing with.

3. Report Suspicious Communications: Immediately report any suspicious communications to the organisation in question to help prevent others from falling victim to the same scam.

Online Shopping Scams 

Online shopping has become a routine activity for many, occurring as frequently as several times a week. This surge in online retail has, unfortunately, provided scammers with new avenues to deceive consumers, often resulting in financial loss. Common online shopping scams include non-delivery of purchased items, product misrepresentation, and theft of payment information, among others. These scams are not limited to traditional retail websites but also occur on platforms like eBay, Vinted, Depop, and Facebook Marketplace.

How to Avoid Online Shopping Scams

1. Use Secure Websites: Ensure the website uses 'HTTPS' (look for the padlock symbol in the address bar) to signify a secure connection.

2. Shop from Reputable Retailers: Stick to well-known and trusted retailers to minimise risk.

3. Verify Seller Reviews: Check reviews of individual sellers to gauge their reliability.

4. Use Trusted Payment Methods: Make payments using reputable payment providers to ensure transaction security.

5. Read Independent Reviews: Look for reviews on independent sites, not just on the retailer's website, to get an unbiased perspective.

6. Use a Credit Card: Whenever possible, use a credit card for additional purchase protection.

Investment or Entrepreneurial Scams

Investment scams involve fraudsters promising unrealistically high returns in a short period while presenting the opportunity as exclusive or limited to pressure you into investing. Often, these schemes are complete scams, and you do not see any return on your investment. Scammers typically target vulnerable individuals who may lack knowledge about safe investments or who are desperate, especially during economically challenging times.

How to Avoid Investment and Entrepreneurial Scams

1. Conduct Thorough Research: Investigate the opportunity extensively, including reviewing the experiences of others to verify its legitimacy.

2. Question Unrealistic Returns: Be sceptical of promises of exceptionally high returns in a short time; if it sounds too good to be true, it likely is.

3. Seek a Second Opinion: If you have any doubts, consult with a trusted advisor or someone knowledgeable in the field.

4. Exercise Critical Judgment: Approach opportunities with a healthy degree of scepticism, especially if they appear unrealistic or too good to be true.

5. Opt for Established Brands: Favour well-known, established brands over newly launched companies to reduce risk.

Social Media Hijacking Scams 

Social media has become a very common platform for launching various attacks such as account takeovers, romance scams and other social engineering attacks due to the ease of account creation. Attackers aim to harvest sensitive information, money and most importantly, your trust. It is very important to remain vigilant when using social media platforms.

Protect Yourself from Social Media Scams

1. Secure Your Account: Use privacy settings to lock down your social media accounts. Learn how to change your privacy settings.

2. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication: Strengthen your account security by turning on multi-factor authentication.

3. Be Cautious with Friend Requests: Avoid accepting friend requests from strangers to minimise risks.

4. Use Strong Passwords: Ensure your account is protected with a strong, unique password. Learn how to create a strong password.

5. Verify Identities: Be cautious if friends or family members ask for unusual favours or funds, as their accounts may have been compromised. Always verify their identity before taking any action.

Please share this article with friends and family to support everyone in staying safe online. 

Have you fallen victim of cybercrime or online harm? Get Help from our cyber experts today.

Useful resources:

• Cybercrime Guides

• Guide - Hacked Social Media

• Guide - Cyberstalking

• Guide - Online Harassment

• Guide - Fake Profiles