The main methods of Internet scammers
If you take a closer look at the methods used by online scammers, it turns out that all of these deception techniques were already known a hundred and two hundred years ago. And it is likely that the scammers of the past used them for centuries before we were born. Only the technical means change. What can we face today?
Threat to security
Many people are painfully aware of the threat to their savings. And this is actively used by fraudsters. When you receive a message with the text like: "Someone from the bank is writing to you. They're trying to write off a large amount from your account. Urgently tell us your card number and secret code, so we can prevent fraudsters" - a person under the influence of emotions does what the fraudster wants: give up confidential information. It is paradoxical, but many people fall for the swindlers because they are afraid to get caught in the trap.
Manipulating the health of your loved ones
Another common technique is sending out messages with the following content: "Hi! It's your friend Vasya. I urgently need money to have an operation. Often the subject is not your friend Vasya's health, but that of his beloved mother. Or children. Sometimes cybercriminals send such messages to all of the contacts they found in a previously hacked social networking account.
Creating doppelganger profiles
This technique is less common because it is quite labor-intensive. The idea is that scammers create a profile on a social network which fully replicates someone else's account. Then they send out emails from it asking for financial help, hoping that someone won't notice the difference. That's how the scammers managed to fool Edgard Zapashny, the director of the Great Moscow Circus, in September 2020. He happily lent $50,000 to an acquaintance (as he thought). But it turned out that the letter asking to borrow the money had come from a fake account.
Inducing false hope
Scammers first bombard a person with information about some danger and immediately tell them how to avoid it. For example, they inform you that your money lying in a bank deposit has been attempted to be stolen. At the moment the security breach has been fixed, but to be on the safe side, it is better to transfer the money to a reserve account - and then specify it. Of course, if you transfer funds to the specified details, you will not see them again.
How to properly communicate with fraudsters
All of the above is only part of the tricks that fraudsters use on the Internet. Fake pages on which expensive smartphones are sold for a quarter of the price. Financial pyramid schemes where you invest a dollar and get a thousand. Online casinos, where you only have to pay for chips once, and a fabulous win awaits you. This is also a scam you can run into.
If you receive a call from a scammer, the first thing to do is not rush. Try to calmly understand the proposed situation. Whoever wants to take your money, often creates an artificial deficit:
Time - you need to make a decision now, or it will be too late;
Attention - you are bombarded with a lot of information, and the interlocutor repeatedly changes the subject of the conversation.
Creating an artificial lack of time or attention - a clear sign that something is wrong. You can safely end the conversation or close the chat. Try not to make decisions under stress. Try to calm down and think soberly.
Remember that free cheese comes only in a mousetrap. Yes, there are people who win large sums in the lottery. But to win, you must at least buy a lottery ticket. If you didn't buy it, but they try to convince you that the prize is right here, you only have to pay a deposit for it, then fraudsters are obviously involved.
Try to understand why some information is being communicated to you. The so-called "Nigerian letters" used to be popular on the Internet, but you can still encounter them today. You receive a letter from which you learn that your distant relative who lived in Africa (America, Australia) has died, and now you can receive an inheritance - but you have to pay, for example, to solve legal issues. Or you are invited to participate in the distribution of the money left after the dictator of some African country died. But to do this, of course, you must first pay fees or bribe officials. Think about whether you might have a rich distant relative that you have never heard of. Or what relation you might have to African dictators and their wealth.
The same applies to emails that try to intimidate you. You get a message that goes something like this: "I am an experienced hacker. I connected to your computer's webcam a long time ago and I know what you're doing. I recorded everything on video. If you don't send me money, I'll tell everyone about it"? Before you pay, think about what scary things this hacker could have videotaped. And whether your computer has a webcam.
Doubting what you're being told? That's good. Trust your doubts. And, if possible, involve third parties in the conversation - relatives, friends, colleagues.
How to protect yourself from fraudsters
To avoid meeting with the attackers, follow these simple rules.
Do not look for easy profits
If they offer you the earnings without any investments, promising you an incredible profit from minimal investments - don't believe them. You are likely to be lured into a pyramid scheme. They promise to sell you a brand-new "iPhone" for the price of an old landline phone? Rest assured that you will pay the money, but won't get a mobile device.
Read the reviews.
Sweepstakes? Sales? Profitable promotions? Read what other Internet users write about it. If the overwhelming majority of reviews are positive, but they are short, written like a copy and boil down to the text "how great I agreed to it," it's a clear sign of online fraud.
Verify any information.
A friend on Odnoklassniki or VKontakte is asking you to transfer money urgently, because his mom/brother/son/sister is hospitalized and needs an operation? Call him back or contact him in some other way. Did the chat room receive a message signed by the bank's security? Call the bank back.
Don't give out confidential data
Phone and bank card numbers, passport details, address - you shouldn't put all that on the internet. If the phone number you use is supposed to be on a website or social network, it's better to register a separate phone number just for work. If people who introduce themselves as friends of your friends or bank security will call it, it's immediately clear that the conversation should be terminated immediately.
Learn to use a VPN
This will come in handy if you're connecting to the Internet via free Wi-Fi in public places. This will make it harder for scammers to access your smartphone if they're monitoring the network in a coffee shop or airport.
Don't trust all emails and messages in chats
Pay attention to how the text is written. Bank security is unlikely to make many blatantly stupid mistakes. Also look at the address: scammers may simply rearrange the letters, so it looks like the email is from an address you know.
Only install apps from official sources
Install applications to your smartphone and tablet, computer or laptop only from official stores App Store, Google Play Market or Microsoft Store. Or from the official sites of the developer companies. By installing broken pirate versions, you run the risk of getting a virus on your device.
Install anti-virus software.
They protect against many problems, especially phishing. This is the name of the original method of phishing when a fake page of the service you use is created. When you enter your username and password on such a page, they immediately become known to intruders.
Create unique passwords
1234, QWERTY and your own year of birth, even written down in reverse order, are all unreliable. Your password should be a complex combination of letters, numbers and symbols. And you shouldn't store it in an accessible place. You shouldn't even store it in a Word document file called "Passwords" either. There are special password manager applications that help you create a password and encrypt it securely so that outsiders don't gain access to confidential information.
If you are a victim of Internet fraudsters
Call your bank immediately and ask them to block your cards. Even if it turns out that everything is fine, it is not a big deal. In this situation it is better to make a mistake than to do nothing and lose your money. Information about transactions with funds in your accounts that you did not commit should be sent to the bank as soon as possible. Ideally on the same day that they occurred. Some banks accept statements over the phone or through online chats. But it may also be that you need to be in the office in person.
If you have information about online scams
If you see a site you think is malicious, report it to:
"Yandex;
Google.
Google is primarily interested in information about phishing
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