Showcaller: Popular scams
The dawn of the 21st century brought the world with one of the most important resources for mankind to use which is called the internet. It started small in the forms of independent websites and chat rooms that people can customise as long as they have basic knowledge in coding.
As the new age transforms the digital sphere with countless innovations, the internet has become a place where you can get every resource you need 24/7. However, free information and unregulated access to it comes with a price.
Some malicious individuals want to take advantage of the digital sphere to outsmart regular people. Since the internet is free for everyone who has access to it, criminals and fraudsters use it to their benefit.
Popular scams
Here at Showcaller, we’ve compiled a list of popular scams. Scroll down below to know more about them and what you can do to secure your computers and personal data from these scams.
Covid-19 scams
In 2020, the world suffered a tragic pandemic that left millions of people affected. Many people worldwide either died or got severely sick. For this reason, many good-willed people started information campaigns to help educate the community about the pandemic while others created fundraisers to raise money for healthcare donations.
Fake health organisations, bogus government sources and fake nonprofit donation requests have permeated the internet. These are designed to get money from unsuspecting Samaritans who just wanted to help. Some may even take it to the next level by marketing fake Covid-19 medicinal products that people buy out of fear of the pandemic.
Disaster relief scams
Before the 2020 pandemic scams, there were disaster relief scams. People who are affected by natural calamities flock to the internet to seek assistance from their fellow community members or government institutions. People don’t think twice about giving aid during times like these.
Many fraudsters use these tragedies to their advantage. They set up fake accounts pretending to be victims of such calamities. People will then give them monetary support to help them out not knowing that these are fraudsters trying to take advantage of their kindness.
Some take it to the next level and pose as nonprofit organizations or government agencies seeking donations. People will then give their donations through these channels thinking that they’re helping victims of calamities.
Lottery scams
Have you noticed emails or pop-up ads from lottery sites telling you that you won an enormous amount of money? These are scams that fraudsters send out to thousands of people in the hopes of someone falling victim to their ruse. Although it isn’t as convincing as the other scams from this list, it can still fool unsuspecting people who are not tech-savvy.
These promotional scams are designed to catch your attention so you would click on the link. At times, it even urges you to respond quickly so you wouldn’t miss the opportunity to win the money.
Once you click the link, these programs would redirect you to a website phishing your bank information. They’d ask you to pay a service charge for the winnings and require you to enter sensitive information about your financial accounts.
Family impersonation scams
It’s easy to create social media accounts posing as your relatives nowadays. Since all information is available on the internet, one search of your name and your relative’s names and they’d find the data they need for the scam.
These scams target vulnerable people. The poser account would tell you that your loved one is in the hospital and needs money for the treatment. You’ll be then asked to transfer money into an account you don’t recognise.
Most of the time the messages appear distraught to tug to your empathy. You won’t be able to think straight knowing it’s a close family member that needs your help.