How to avoid online scams!
Christmas is around the corner (and January sales!!), the last thing you need on your plate is a scam that results in a loss of money. Scams are fraudulent scheme that are used to con people out of money or trick them into giving out their personal details. These scammers have grown with technology and are now even sneakier and harder to detect, therefore we have come up with a few tips to try and avoid this!
- Always check the person/company that have contacted you, are who they claim to be. Scammers often use existing companies to make the scam seem more ‘legit.’ Fake bank or Apple emails saying you need to re-verify your account details, commonly known as ‘phishing’. If this does happen, you shouldn’t give any details but should contact your bank or the companies directly and ask them if they have contacted you. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
- If you decide to donate to a charity- charities are often promoted more around the festive season or if there’s a sudden disaster. Most people wouldn’t expect it from a charity- but you have to remember they can be used as a mask to disguise the fraud. In this case you need to make sure the charity is registered and it’s also worth look into where the money is going to ensure it’s reaching the cause that you want it to.
- Don’t open emails or links that make claims about winning cash or prizes; 9 times out of 10 these are scams. If they ask you to call a number to claim your prize or to find out more, this is usually because they will charge you an extortionate rate per minute. This isn’t often clear until you check your phone bill. If it’s via email you may be redirected to a page where you’ll be asked to sign up and pay an administrative or processing fee. You have to ask yourself how likely it is that you’ve won a prize for a competition that you probably haven’t even entered.
- When online shopping on sites such as eBay, amazon or one that you haven’t heard of, it’s always useful to check reviews and ensure that what you’re buying is good quality and that you will actually receive what you’ve paid for. It’s important to check that the price includes VAT and to double-check the delivery information. It can also be worth googling the company to see what this brings up- social media accounts often have consumer feedback on too! Another tip is don’t save your card details to any site- it might be quicker but it’s not very safe.
- Never give your personal or bank details to anyone online or over the phone – or anyone you don’t know in general. No one should ever ask for your pin/password! With online dating also becoming very popular, as horrible as it is- scammers do create false profiles and lure in those searching for love or friendship by building relationships and then asking for money, whether it’s £1 or £100, if someone online starts asking you for money alarm bells need to ring. The popular TV programme Catfish looks into these cases and they can be a real eye opener.
- You should change your passwords regularly and try to include upper and lowercase letters with symbols and numbers, having a long password makes it harder for it to be guessed. Just ensure that you don’t forget what you’ve changed it to. With social media sites such as Facebook, you can monitor when and where you’re/you have been logged in- if you don’t recognise the locations or devices then this could be an indicator that someone has accessed your account.
- It’s important to read the terms and conditions before saying you agree, often in the small print there can be key information that could come back and bite you in the event of a problem. The majority of people scan through and just agree because the T&C’s are so long and don’t realise there’s often a catch until you’re faced with an issue. Especially when purchasing holidays and insurance- reading the small print is a must.
- Often paying by credit card for items that are slightly more expensive is a safer option as unlike debit cards, cheques and cash, paying on a credit card ensure you’re protected due to the law making the lender's jointly liable with the retailer- however there could be fees for this. Obviously don’t get in debt but if you’re unsure of the safety of the company or site, this can be a safer option than debit card or cash, as with cash and no receipt there’s not trace and therefore no proof.
- Sometimes scammers can be ironic, in such a way that they will inform you with an email or some sort of pop up that your computer is at risk and you need to ‘click this link’ to update your security software etc. By clicking the link that’s what actually gives you the virus, like I said- ironic.
- Ensure that your anti-virus software is up to date, along with your Internet explorers and programs as these are often updated to ensure stronger security and remove any bugs etc. If you don’t update this can lead to a slower program that may crash, therefore it is worth the time that it takes.
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