For all the beginners, including non-beginners as well, in the world of cryptocurrency (not just in this forum): be free from scams.
It has come to my attention that the vulnerability of users to online frauds has become higher than ever. Our shift into this 'New Normal' has set higher standards in the terms of security and safety on the internet, especially to those who wants to earn money. I know many people who have been victims in these frauds, and even I myself has been too. It's simple, the scammers would set up a website, an app, or a group that promises income in exchange of your time, effort, and/or financial investments. They would usually pose as someone who are seemingly 'legit' but are actually not. Yes, everyone already know this but believe me, it has become more dangerous than ever so extra care must be done. People usually learn from their mistakes, and that's not bad. The best thing to do right now is to share your experiences to others and teach them from your mistakes. In that way, we minimize the loss of innocent people and ultimately reduce the earnings of those scams so that possibly, just possibly, we'd wither them off our noses (which is entirely improbable, but not impossible).
In the data provided by Rijnetu (2019) from the Federal Trade Commission, younger people especially from ages 20-29 are the most susceptible to online scams, and 1 out of 5 people are reportedly scammed. That's only a result in a US consensus done in March 2018. In their report done in 2020, they found out online scams done in social media has increased greatly, as seen in the following graph. Reports of Scams that Started on Social Media
These are four signs, according to the Federal Trade Commission:
1.
Scammers PRETEND to be from an organization you know. It can be any form of organization - government, academic, private, and especially businesses. This must usually be the most common scam sign that is so hard to detect because they make you think they are legit. This is an example.
Screenshot 1:
https://ibb.co/m5dQ9CLScreenshot 1:
https://ibb.co/bbHwmXwThese are good looking online shops! With cheap prices and good deals, they are even set up for the Black Friday sale. Who would not think this isn't legit, right? Now, my question is which of them are legit? Answer:
None Yes you heard that right. Take a look at the address bar, both have eerily different link addresses but are seemingly the same. And don't argue with me that the other one is legit because I have all the proof that I can give. Their site was even called Mellifluousy last month. Sadly, my friend can no longer retrieve his money and he has to freeze his account because of the details he provided.
A quick tip about credit card details, always be skeptical of to whom you send your credit card details. Sites should show proof of security whenever online transaction occur. You'll be damned when you find out that scammers doesn't need your PIN for it, they just need your credit card number and the 3-digit (depends) number at the back of your card called the CVC code. Boom! Instant scam.
2. Scammers say there’s a PROBLEM or a PRIZE. We all know this of course, it's the basic notification or alerts that are just pop ups. This is somehow easy to see because of its visual difference of a real deal. The most common would be pop-up browser ads and in-between installation steps. When you aren't careful, you might have clicked one without even noticing!
https://ibb.co/X7ZfxvGImage from Pilici, S. (2018) .
3. Scammers PRESSURE you to act immediately. "Oh, no! You're computer has been infected by a virus, click this now" cliche. It's usually like this, but can be in any form.
https://ibb.co/pn3MKYmImage from Webroot (2015).
4. Scammers tell you to PAY in a specific way. Usually in a specific way, but nowadays they will mimic how legit sites would do it so you would think that they are really legit.
Screenshot 3:
https://ibb.co/55kL6bMNow, how can we be safe? Thankfully, the FTC provided some guidelines (and I modified it for online appropriation):
Block unwanted calls, text messages, emails, and ads. These will be their usual medium to contact you, and one simple click can be very malicious. If unavoidable, you can install ad blockers and antivirus programs.
Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect. They would always ask for your personal information so you should be weary and skeptical as much as possible. Never share your card number, pictures of it, or even if you cover the first 12 digits because it can be deciphered by corporate scams. Passwords should also protected as well, make it harder combination, and change it when you like it. You can also enable multi-factor authentication features.
Resist the pressure to act immediately. Be patient and think about your plan of action before acting. This will minimize your chances of making more mistakes when you have reason backing you up.
Know how scammers tell you to pay. The way scammers tell you how to pay can give you a hint of what they are up to. It most likely lead to your personal financial information being asked. Sometimes they do scams in forms of text messages and tell you to buy them load credits.
Stop and talk to someone you trust. If in doubt, contact a trusted friend or a professional. Best if you contact your card's bank of origin and ask for your card to be frozen to prevent transactions from occurring.
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I hope this helps, please share it to everyone you know or you love so they too would be safe.
REF:
https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/top-online-scams/https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/consumer-sentinel-network-data-book-2017/consumer_sentinel_data_book_2017.pdfhttps://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-scamhttps://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/data-spotlight/2020/10/scams-starting-social-media-proliferate-early-2020https://www.creditcardinsider.com/learn/credit-card-security/IMG REF:
https://malwaretips.com/blogs/remove-youve-won-iphone-x/https://www.webroot.com/blog/2015/04/27/fake-security-scams-2015-edition/
