Don’t Get Tricked By These Common Online Scams!

The online world is full of deals, sales, bargains… and scams. While the worldwide web connects us to our friends, family, retailers, and more, it also connects us to scammers who have nefarious plans to infiltrate and steal information. Avoid common online scams to keep your information from being compromised.

Phishing Scam

Scammers “fish” for your information by embedding links in emails that look legitimate. The emails are designed to look like a legitimate company’s emails. These are called “spoofs.” They will use similar logos and branding colors and sign off as somebody who sounds real. If you click on a link in a phishing email, it could install malicious software or take you to a different website that will ask you to verify sensitive information, i.e. email address, passwords, account numbers, etc.

Sometimes, you can spot these emails by the following:

• Misspellings or typos – this is often found in the email address, company name, and/or in the body of the email.
• A sense of urgency – scammers want you to click before you think. To do this, they will ask you to click on the link within a certain amount of time and threaten to close your account or tack on additional fees, if you do not.

If you get an email like this, call the business directly (get information from their website, not what is listed in the email) to verify they sent the email. If they didn’t, you can delete the email and never think about it again. Do not click any links or else your data is at risk.

Coupon Scam

Every dollar counts! The point of online shopping is to find the best deals. Avid shoppers will go a step further and find coupons to tack on. The lure of the bargain can take these shoppers to sketchy websites that are contaminated with malicious links or collect more information than they need. If you find one of these websites, be careful what you click. Additionally, if they ask for you to create a profile to start clipping coupons, be aware of how much and what kind of information you are giving out.

Public WiFi Scam

While the aesthetic of shopping in a cafe may be alluring, avoid it if you have to connect to public WiFi. Public WiFi is notoriously unsafe and an easy way for scammers to get crucial information, like your debit card number. If you want a cozy place to shop, stay home where you have a secure connection. If your WiFi isn’t password protected, it’s a good idea to add one.

Social Media Impersonation Scam

Anyone can be anyone on social media, including scammers pretending to be your loved ones. You probably have seen clones of your friends and family’s accounts come across your Facebook feed. Scammers will use identical names and profile pictures to copy a real person in your friend’s list. Then, they will send you friend requests. Once they do, they may message you, asking for money or information. Or, they will post things for sale on the spoofed profile and ask for a down payment because they are “out of town.” The best way to combat these types of scammers is to report the profile.

Lottery Scam

“You’re the millionth person to visit this website! Click here to claim your prize!” Has this pop-up or something similar stopped you in your tracks before while browsing? Many websites use pop-ups to grab their audience’s attention and ask them to complete a task, like joining an email list for deals. Scammers have taken this concept a step further by creating pop-ups and enticing people to click. Once they click, they often have malware downloaded onto their computer within minutes. When you visit a website, watch where you are clicking!

Even the savviest internet user can fall prey to these tricks. If you think your information has been compromised, contact your financial institution and file a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).