What Are The Most Common Scams?

There is no doubt that the Internet provides many advantages and opportunities, however, not all that glitters is gold, and it is that sometimes we can find unexpected situations, in which, for example, we can end up being victims of some online fraud. The anonymity provided by the Internet and the ability to carry out an action from anywhere in the world, makes it the perfect place to common scams in certain situations. 

The best line of defense in this type of situation is to know how cybercriminals act to stop them and thus avoid falling into their networks. For this reason, below we will list the most common scams. We hope you find it useful!

Online Shopping

Of all the daily inquiries that we receive at OSI, fraud committed through online stores that turn out not to be what they seemed, are shown as the main problem in terms of deception through the network. The main characteristics of this type of page are the following:

1. They offer products that are copies of originals.
2. They send products that have nothing to do with the one that was offered or with the one that was requested.
3. They charge for amounts greater or greater than the amount indicated during the purchase process.
4. They do not meet the delivery deadlines offered on their websites.
5. They do not have a telephone, address, etc., offering only a contact form to which they never respond.

Therefore, in our effort to make users aware of the dangers that surround this type of online shopping, we present a series of considerations to take into account:

1. When you register on an online purchase page or go to make a payment, it must have a security certificate , in such a way that it begins with ” https ” and that a green padlock appears indicating that the data is encrypted.
2. If you see that it has abnormally low prices or all products at the same price, you should be suspicious.
3. Find the legal information of the company. Do not trust if a form or a free webmail comes as the only contact element.
4. Analyze the types of payments that are allowed. If on the main page they advertise that a method such as PayPal is supported, make sure that they give you that option when paying for the order.
5. Never make payments through companies such as Western Union, MoneyGram, Ukash, etc., as they do not offer guarantees of recovering the money in case of fraud.
6. Before buying, look for opinions of other users. It may be the case that a fraud on a page has already been commented on by more people in a forum or social network. It is one of the most common scams around us.

Phishing

It is the most used technique for the theft of personal information, credentials to access online services or banking information. Its operation is based on sending emails or other types of messages impersonating a known service or company so that the victim accesses a fraudulent page that pretends to be the legitimate one. The purpose is for the user to enter all kinds of information so that the cybercriminal can have it. It is one of the dangerous common scams, you should be careful.

1. If you receive an attachment by email from someone unknown, or even if you are known, you find it suspicious, delete it directly and / or contrast the information with the contact before proceeding to open it. In any case, always scan it with an antivirus before opening it to avoid a possible infection.
2. Similarly, avoid clicking on links that reach you in email or instant messaging. If you need to access a known service, do so by typing the address directly into your browser.
3. Be suspicious of those emails that present incorrect writing or grammatical and spelling mistakes, also if they have an impersonal tone beginning the messages with a “Hello friend” or “Dear customer”.
4. Urgency is a fundamental part of phishing- type messages , generally they always ask to do something immediately. It is an indication to take into account.
5. If you detect a phishing- type email , notify your contacts so that they do not fall for the deception.

The Fake Loans

The existence and use of social networks allows these cybercriminals, those who supposedly offer low-interest money loans, to advertise on any profile and reach a large number of people through the viralization of their ads. You can also find them in forums, article comments, or in emails.

They will make use of people’s desperation to obtain credit to try to swindle and obtain a financial profit or to obtain personal information of their victims.

The main characteristics offered by this type of loan are the following:

• They offer large amounts of money at unusually low interest.
• They make use of free email accounts for the procedures and never work under a recognized or prestigious company.
• They always ask for money in advance, usually claiming management fees.
• They ask to send payments through Western Union or MoneyGram or transfers to foreign banks.

In order not to fall for this type of deception, we recommend going to trusted entities or credit officers. Also make active searches on the Internet, the results can give you clues about whether you are dealing with a fraud or not.