The Internet is one of the greatest creations that offers people the benefit to connect with others around the world. But like most things in life, it's not perfect. The Internet has become one of the most popular tools used to steal your information and commit financial fraud. Here are some important Internet safety tips to prevent online fraud and protect you from being scammed.
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| How to Deal with Internet Fraud and Digital Scams |
How to Prevent Online Fraud: Cybersecurity Awareness & Internet Safety Tips
With the revolution of the Internet and the increasing demand for financial and commercial transactions through technological media, online fraud has become a real threat to many people. Online fraud includes all scams that are carried out using modern technological means.
In this article, we introduce you to the concept of Internet fraud, and common types of online fraud, in addition to highlighting the most important Internet safety tips to prevent online fraud and deal with digital scams.
What is Internet Fraud?
Electronic fraud or Internet fraud is a form of cybercrime fraud committed using the internet. An online fraud aims to seize the money and property of others by illegal means. This type of fraud is carried out through the use of Internet services or programs connected to it, which causes financial losses estimated at millions of dollars worldwide.
Internet fraud may result in material as well as moral losses; This is related to the extent of professionalism and experience of the fraudster.
Sometimes the source of fraud may be a close friend who is trying to joke with you in a bad way, as it may be from parties and networks specialized in this.
If the main goal of fraud is to achieve financial gain by illegal means, the process of fraud and the methods used remain many and varied.
Some types of internet fraud target large financial profits through limited scams, while other types target small amounts of multiple and many operations, which also achieve huge financial profits.
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5 Common Types of Online Fraud
Every moment you may become a victim of online fraud in one way or another, accordingly, you should be more careful and not risk any private details.
The most common types of electronic fraud or online scams may include:
Email Phishing Scams
Email scam is a method used by fraudsters to steal your personal information and pose a serious threat to you and your businesses.
Oftentimes, messages with links to attractive contests or prizes such as: smartphones or a chance to go on vacation may arrive in your email. After clicking on the link, you will be asked to enter some personal or financial data, such as your credit card number. Also, a small money order may be requested in order to receive the prize. if you did, you will have put your information at risk as money transfers may be made from your account very quickly.
There is another method of email scam that appears to be more insidious, where a fake email that looks like it was sent from a friend or official body when it is nothing but a phishing process. This email asks you for certain sensitive information.
For example, the message might tell you that you need to change the password on your PayPal account because there is an attempt to hack it. The message appears to be from the official website, which increases the possibility of carrying out the required and entering a new password, which allows it to be used by the scammer.
Mobile Phone Scams
Installing hacked applications or from unknown sources, as well as clicking on certain links may lead to the penetration of personal data such as photos and files, as well as the theft of some data such as: passwords and bank card numbers. This makes you a victim in the hands of certain parties who may blackmail you to pay money or may use your data for their benefit.
Sometimes, a friend of yours is impersonated on the Internet with the same name and profile picture, with the aim of requesting a service, such as obtaining a phone charge or personal information.
Computer Frauds
Some computers, especially those owned by companies and businessmen, contain very important and sensitive data. Here, hackers and scammers resort to hacking the computer with malicious software and links, which leads to it stopping working, after which you are contacted and blackmailed in order to pay money in exchange for regaining access to your personal account.
eCommerce Frauds
E-commerce fraud is any type of fraud that occurs on an e-commerce platform. E-commerce fraud may include card testing fraud, account takeover fraud, friendly fraud, and more.
Due to the growth in the size and status of e-commerce, which has been known to play a role in some forms of electronic fraud, you may be a victim of fake websites that do not have any real goods, which means that you will pay your money without getting anything in return.
Some sites may refer you to unknown electronic payment methods with the aim of stealing your banking information.
Charity and Disaster Fraud
After a natural disaster or pandemic, fraudsters run fake campaigns calling for donations to help the victims. A valid intent is that a person is willing to participate in charity, which means providing sensitive data such as banking information.
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How to Protect Yourself from Online Fraud
The Internet has become one of the most popular tools used to steal your information and commit financial fraud.
Fraudsters are revamping the ways and mechanisms of cybercrime, but taking some simple measures can enhance information security. We offer you a set of Internet safety tips that can help you deal with rising cybersecurity attacks and prevent you from falling into Internet fraud and digital scams:
Download apps from popular stores:
Make sure to download all applications from well-known stores, as the process of downloading any application from unknown sources may expose your data and privacy to theft, which means exposure to a form of online blackmail and digital scams.
Don't forget to update the phone:
Install new updates for the phone system, they always include files that enhance the protection of the phone from various forms of cyberattacks.
Don't click on anonymous links:
Even if the link was sent to you by your friends, once you click on it, you may be hacked or malicious software will be installed on your phone without your knowledge. Do not open anonymous emails and links.
Use legal versions of banking apps:
If you are using a banking app on your mobile phone, make sure that you upload the legal copy of a banking app on your device. In general, every real banking app can only be activated by a banking agency, so every easy-to-activate banking app will be questionable.
Beware of transactions involving third parties:
Be very careful if you are asked to receive money on your account and then transfer it to a third party, as you may be a partner in a fraud or money laundering process.
Use best antivirus software:
Whether on your smartphone or PC, feel free to install a well-known and reputable best antivirus software in order to boost the level of protection on your devices.
Use complex passwords:
Includes letters, symbols, and numbers, and change them immediately whenever you feel suspicious. And remember that your bank will not send you an email asking you to enter your bank or credit card number; Therefore, such mail means that you are on the verge of becoming a victim of online fraud.
Know that you will not win a prize in a competition you did not enter and you will not be selected on a list that you did not join, and remember that you will never be asked for an amount of money in order to obtain a legitimate prize.
Do not buy from unknown sites:
Do not make any online purchase except reputable websites and reputable online stores. And if you have some doubts about the credibility of some sites, do not hesitate to search for them more to make sure of their status. Make sure that you are using electronic payment methods securely.
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How to Report Financial Frauds
After you have been exposed to online fraud, do not hesitate to report in order to recover your rights and contribute to protecting others from falling into the net of online fraud. From this point of view, this form of fraud can be reported through the following means:
- Contact your bank as soon as possible and inform them of the fraud, in order to stop all the operations that can be done with the banking information obtained by the fraudsters.
- Writing and submitting a complaint to the competent authorities in the fight against cybercrime, here you can resort to the police and the judiciary in order to report the crime of fraud. Do not be lazy about that, claiming that the matter is not feasible, as the increase in reporting processes pushes the competent authorities to move faster.
- Write several posts in various groups and relevant pages in order to expose the offender, this is very useful in order to limit the activity of some networks and individuals. You may also be allowed to get some solutions and recommendations from other members.
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