Online fraud – how to avoid it?
Online fraud means the use of internet services or software with internet access to cheat or take advantage of the victim, for example by stealing personal information, which can trigger identity theft.
Internet services can be used to trick victims or make fraud transactions. Online fraud can occur in chat rooms, social media, email, or websites.
Internet services and websites make us easier to pay bills, shop, make reservations online, even do work. And we can do all these activities from anywhere. There are no restrictions for us to have access to any information. Life is much easier.
But as well as the world of evil. The freedom to navigate and access many locations online at the same time has a dangerous risk. The crime is now far more advanced than before by targeting our personal life, home, and office where we work. Unfortunately just a little we can do.
Online fraud uses varied methods and tools, ranging from software and vulnerabilities to almost all programs and applications, to phishing fraud from unexpected areas in various parts of the world.
Types of fraud in cyberspace
Several activities are vulnerable at risk of online crime attacks, namely when you:
- Shop online
- Check email
- Access social media.
Therefore we need to know what kind of online fraud is the most popular and the technique used by cybercriminals to get our personal information and financial data. Never forget that their final target is our money, and they will take everything a way to achieve this mission.
Phishing email
Phishing fraud is based on communication made by email or social media networks. Fraudsters will send you a message and try to deceive you to provide access to login from bank accounts, social media, work accounts, or other valuable personal data for them.
To do this, email phishing is made as it comes from official sources, which can be from banks, other financial institutions, company representatives, or social networking.
That way, the fraudster will persuade you to click on the link that contains their messages and accesses the website that looks real but is controlled by them. You will be led to fake login access similar to the original website. If you are not careful, you can provide access to login and other personal information.
For this fraud to succeed, fraudsters create a sense of styder. They will tell you a scary story about how your bank account is under threat and how you need to immediately access a website page where you must enter confidential data to confirm your identity or account.
Of course, the available link will only direct you to the fake web location and not to the original login page. After filling out your online bank secret data, fraudsters use it to break through the original bank account or sell it to a third party.
There is no reason not to be aware of this crime. Even though you install the best antivirus program, there is no better way to save from this threat than avoiding it.
Money laundering fraud
This money laundering fraud is the oldest and popular crime scheme. Most of us have to meet in our email inbox. Because this fraud is in the old model category, there are many forms of variations.
Fraud usually starts from an email message from official government members, entrepreneurs, or rich family members (usually women) who ask you to assist to make some money from the bank, by previously paid the cost of arranging documents. In return for your help, fraudsters promise a very large amount of money.
Of course, this is just originally. After that, they will ask you to pay more for additional services, such as the transfer fee. You even receive documents to make you trust. In the end, you suffer losses without getting the promised money. There are also cases where not only lost money but also human life.
Greeting card fraud
It’s another form of fraud, in the form of a greeting card that you received in the email inbox and looks coming from a friend.
When you open the e-mail and click on the card, you will usually go to the software containing malware or viruses that are downloaded and installed on your operating system.
Malware is a program that will launch pop-up ads, windows on an unexpected screen. If your system becomes infected because of this malicious malware, your computer starts sending personal data and financial information to the cheater server.
To be safe from identity theft, use a special security program to fight this type of danger.
Loan fraud from the bank
It’s hard to make people be tempted by bank offers in the form of money loans. Use your common sense to assess whether this is true or fraudulent. How can a bank offer you loan money in large quantities without knowing your financial condition?
Although it seems there is no way there will be people who will be deceived in this way there are still many people who lose money to pay the fees requested by fraudsters.
Lottery fraud
One more form of classical fraud that has never been lost. Lottery fraud is an e-mail message that informs you if you win money in large quantities and you need to do only pay a few fees.
You feel very lucky, even though you don’t remember that you’ve bought a lottery ticket. All your dreams seem to be real, such as quitting work or live well up to old age.
Our imagination immediately imagines dream homes, holidays abroad, or expensive items that can only be dreamed of by ordinary people. But all of these dreams end after you realize have become victims of fraud.
Murder fraud
Fraudsters will send emails that threaten you to get some money. This type of fraud can vary in shape, as the threat will kidnap family members unless the ransom is paid at the time determined by the cheater.
To create real danger threats, the message is filled with details of the life of the victim, which is collected from online accounts, personal blogs, or social media accounts.
That’s why it’s not wise to provide personal information about you on social media. Maybe it looks like social media is safe and personal because you are surrounded by friends, but in reality, you never know for sure who lurks at you.
Online dating fraud
How many of us have been fooled by this fraud? Because this concerns the subjective side instead of our ratio so that we tend to override logical analysis.
This fraud occurred on social media networks, such as Facebook, or by sending a simple email to the victim. Men’s cheats are often located in West Africa and women’s fraudsters are usually from eastern Europe.
Fraudsters launch this action for a long time using online dating services. They enhance the approach by testing the victim’s reaction.
This scheme occurs for several months or more to gain the trust of the victim. In many cases, arrangements for meetings. When this happens, two things happen:
- Unexpected events occur and fraudsters need money as fast as possible for passport purposes or other things.
- If the victim comes from a rich family, he will be kidnapped and family members are asked for money as a ransom.
Fake antivirus software
We must have at least once seen this message on the computer screen: “Your computer is infected. Download Antivirus X now to protect it! “
This pop-up is very well made similar to the actual message that you will get from a normal window or security product.
When you are lucky, nothing happens besides Hoax that bothered you by displaying a pop-up on the screen when you browse. To get rid of this annoying pop-up, your system scan uses good antivirus products.
If you are not so lucky, malware can enter your systems, such as Trojans or the like. This kind of message can also block your operating system and criminals ask for some money instead of opening it again.
To avoid this situation, use special security products, in addition to your traditional antivirus program.
Facebook profile fraud
Facebook is currently the most popular social media. Therefore, companies and businesses use it to communicate with customers and promote their products.
With so many friends and connections on this online platform, we use Facebook not only to check the activities and updates of friends but also to chat with them.
If most friends, colleagues, and social connections are on Facebook, it will be very reasonable if this place also attracts the attention of online fraudsters.
Imagine your account on hacked by cybercriminals and they get access to your close friends and family.
Therefore you must be very careful in protecting your online personal account as well as protecting bank or email accounts. Immediately use multiple authentication methods. This will be an additional layer of security, besides your password.
Fraud gets money easily
This online fraud is very popular: criminals will captivate you to believe you can get money easily from the internet. They will promise non-existent jobs, get rich quickly, and money from the official government source.
This is an effective and simple approach, because it meets the basic needs of humanity on money, especially when victims experience difficult financial conditions.
From this point of view, this fraud method is similar to the online dating method above, where the cheater targets the victim’s needs to get a partner.
Posts about work for various positions that have no part of online crime. By using promises of various types of work, victims are persuaded to provide personal information and financial data in return will get a good job or a lot of money in a short time.
Fraud Travel
This fraud usually appears in the holiday season. The scenarios are usually like this: You receive an email containing an awesome offer to go to an extraordinary vacation spot (usually an exotic place). This offer will expire in a short time and you may not miss it.
The problem is that some of these offers hide some of the costs until you pay it. Other fraudsters only take your money without sending you vacation anywhere.
To anticipate this, you should study the travel package bid and see hidden fees such as airport tax or ticket you need to get into access to local attractions. Check whether the cost of eating, local transportation costs from the airport to the hotel, or from the hotel to the main attractions mentioned in the initial offer have been included.
As a general guide, you should use a trusted travel agency. You can also compare whether by paying for your airplane tickets and accommodation, the results are the same as the offer you can.
Tips to protect yourself from online fraud
Here are some tips for protecting yourself from online fraud:
- When dealing with contacts is not from your contact list for business or personal, by telephone, email, or social networking sites, always think of the possibility of fraud. Remember, if everything looks too good, the possibility is fraud.
- Know with whom you deal. If you only meet someone online and not sure of the validity of a business, take the time to do a little investigation. Do photos on Google or find other people who have dealt with that person.
- Don’t open a suspicious email or pop-up window, immediately delete. If you are unsure, verify the identity of the contact with an online search. Don’t use the contact details in the message you received.
- Be careful when shopping online. Beware of offers that seem to be too tempting and always use online shopping services that you know and believe. Think twice before using virtual currency, because it doesn’t have the same protection as other transaction methods, which means you can’t get your money back after sending it. Read our articles about online businesses.
- Secure your data. Be careful with the personal information that you share on social media. Fraudsters can use information and images to make false identities or make you a target of fraud.
- Secure your mobile computer and tool. Always use a password, don’t share access with other people, update security software. Protect your WiFi network with a password and avoid using a computer or public WiFi hotspot to access internet banking or provide personal information.
- Choose a password carefully. Select a password that will be difficult to guess and update regularly. A strong password must include a combination of capital letters and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Don’t use the same password for each account, and don’t share a password with anyone.
Online fraud is growing using increasingly sophisticated means. According to data, online fraud increased in the last 10 years and the total losses doubled in recent years, which affected individuals and also large-scale businesses.
Therefore cybercrime is now one of the targets of federal investigations and is considered a very serious problem.
You might think it might not be fooled by this fraud, because some of them look very fake, like people who promise to send money. But some of their stories were very convincing and the victim could not move.
Because some online fraud is very organized and convincing, and people behind it are hard to catch, we need to protect ourselves. Stay updated information about the latest fraud strategies. For your business to grow and increase the number of customers you don’t forget to advertise through the Froggy Ads service, you can start by advertising your product, so that later you can improve visitors in your online business portal. FROGGY ADS is an online advertising service that can help you control all your product campaigns. Helps you target the targeting target you want and give you many choices to market your product.
