Types of Internet Scams

If you own a computer, you’ve simply got to watch out for internet scams. There are some unscrupulous people out there looking to take advantage of naïve internet users, and if you’re not careful, an internet scammer can cost you serious money. Internet scams can play on your greed, fear, or simply lack of knowledge about the web or how it works. If you get scammed by an unscrupulous internet thief, it’s not your fault, but that won’t be much consolation when your identity is stolen and your bank account is empty. Read on to learn about the trickiest internet scams and how you can protect yourself.

The Nigerian Prince Internet Scam

If you check your spam folder right now you probably have some version of the Nigerian Prince internet scams on your computer. It may be an international lottery, a Nigerian Prince, or a recipient of a large inheritance, but the basic principle is the same. You get a, usually poorly worded, email from a foreign country, referring to an ungodly sum of money that someone cannot access by him or herself. If you send this person your account information and/or a smaller sum of money, they will release this money to you. This scam is so ubiquitous and transparent that most people know to avoid it, but if it’s new to you, use some common sense. The old credo holds true: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you get an email from someone you don’t know offering you a large sum of money, delete it immediately. Do not send any critical information to anyone you don’t know by email.

The Facebook Emergency Internet Scam

This is a new one that takes advantage of the new popularity of Facebook. In this one, someone gets access to a Facebook account from someone you know, and posts an emergency status report saying something like the individual is trapped in a foreign country and needs money sent to a particular address right away. By the time the real Facebook user notices the crime and gets the word out, the scammer has already taken advantage of the generosity of the user’s friends. If you see a social network request for money from a friend, make sure to contact that friend personally before sending any money anywhere.

Phishing Internet Scams

Phishing scams are the oldest internet scams there are. They are as old as the internet itself. These play on the fear of naïve internet users. These involve sending you an email from a seemingly trusted site that claims to need information urgently. For example, you may receive an email saying that a large purchase has been made on your eBay account, or that there is a billing problem with your AOL account, and the only way you can resolve it is to provide your account or password information. Once you click the link, you are taken to a dummy site where scammers collect your information for their own purposes. Once again, do not click links you don’t recognize or provide information over email. If you are truly concerned, type the URL of the site in your browser directly and investigate.

To protect yourself against internet scams, always be vigilant about providing sensitive information or sending money to anyone over the internet, and get yourself quality anti spyware, anti spam software that is running constantly on your machine to root out threats.