04 May
2021
The internet is no longer as we know it. Online fraud has skyrocketed in recent years to the detriment of both businesses (ransomware attacks) and ordinary users. The cost of an online scam can range from a few euros to human life.
But how do we protect ourselves from online scams? The best answer to the question is information. Below I present to you by category the biggest online scams that you should avoid during your daily Internet browsing both from your computer and from your mobile phone:
1. Malware, Viruses
It is any form of software or infected files that are installed on the user's computer or mobile device, without their knowledge either through their own negligence, operational error, carelessness, deception or by remote hacking / intrusion . In any case, the infected software can either directly or indirectly extort money from the user, or in other cases use their computer as a terminal for other illegal actions (unbeknownst to the user).
There are many forms of cheating and I will analyze them in the next article. In any case you should:
a. NEVER open e-mails from unknown recipients and especially do not click on links in e-mails. Do not open attached files unless you know the sender and expect to receive files from a person or company.
c. Always have an antivirus and an anti-malware installed and updated on your computer. Most programs on the market combine functions to provide an all-in solution (internet security). From personal and years of use, I would recommend the malwarebytes premium version. Remember that 90% of the time it will save you from much more damage than the cost of an annual subscription. Also you should know that antiviruses must be installed and running BEFORE you get any malware. Because once your computer is infected and after that, the antivirus won't be able to help you much.
d. Never click on advertising banners from Dark Web sites (torrents /porn etc). I would generally advise you NOT to enter such websites at all.
2. eCommerce scams - fake e-shops
Never buy products from Facebook, which are presented at suspiciously low prices and there is a suspiciously high number of positive reviews underneath. If you still want to risk it, at least check the seller's e-shop. Does it have a terms of use and privacy policy? Does it allow payment via Paypal? Does it provide real contact information, contact form and contact phone number? If you want to look it up even further you can check here the age of the domain.
Usually these companies buy a domain, set up a fake campaign and after a few tens-hundreds of reports from deceived buyers, they take down the domain or it is suspended by the registrar. In the best case the product will not correspond to the photos in the advertisement and will be of much lower quality, while in the worst case you will never receive it and you will not find them because they will have closed the e-shop.
3 . Fraud through Phishing - Spoofing
This is probably the most classic method of fraud on the internet. The perpetrator seeks to either intercept passwords, credit card numbers or other sensitive personal data of the user with the method of fraud. It usually poses as a well-known organization or financial institution asking the user to submit their card or web banking account details. The evidence is then intercepted and the sequel is known. The most classic example is a fake e-mail that looks quite similar to bank e-mails that notifies the user that they need to update their information and prompts them to log in to a form on their profile. From the fake form, the perpetrator steals the username/password of the user.
a. Never open and above all do not respond to e-mails that appear to be from a bank or the
PayPal or any payment gateway. In general, NEVER open e-mails from banks. Any important matter concerning your bank accounts will either be informed directly by your e-banking or you will be called on your personal telephone number registered with the bank. The bank will NEVER send an e-mail about any problem with
your account.