Popular types of online fraud

The rapid development of technology entails the appearance of cybercriminals who use user data for their own purposes and to scam users for money. Most scammers operate according to well established schemes, so it’s important to learn about the most common scams in use today.

Types of scams

URL spoofing of popular websites
When well-known brands that are trusted by their visitors are cloned, identity and credit card details are stolen. This type of scam is called spoofing. Carefully check if the address bar is spelled correctly when going to the homepage, check the email addresses of incoming emails, and run hyperlinks through an antivirus program.

Hacking social networking site
The ability to write messages on behalf of the account holder allows the criminal to send messages to a list of friends asking for money. Make sure you are not being scammed before making a transfer.

Requesting payment for delivery of winnings
Conducting lotteries and contests for customers and subscribers by various companies is a common occurrence and does not arouse suspicion. You should be alerted to a charge for the delivery of the prize. Contact the organisers and check if this is part of the official rules.

Participation in lotteries
Cybercriminals act as lottery organisers and lure users to a phishing site. To win a prize, they need to install an application and convert dollars into roubles. This procedure is subject to a fee and confirmation of the transaction by an SMS code. In doing so, the scammers “kill two birds with one stone”: they get money and access to the winner’s accounts.

Fundraising for sick children in social networks
If you come across a post requesting to raise funds for a sick child and want to help, carefully check the information. Scammers have no problem printing medical certificates or taking advantage of the real situation for their own purposes. Inexperienced cybercriminals are easy to take out through communication.

Do not transfer money to a card but to an account of a medical organisation or charity. The latter should also be checked for trustworthiness – the official website should provide reports on the work done.

Fake SMS from the bank
Social engineering enables them to make calls and send SMS messages from official bank numbers. Fraudsters claim to be security officers and report suspicious activity on customer accounts. To protect your savings, you will be asked to withdraw money to a new account, giving your card details, a three-digit code, and your online account password. To convince a potential victim, the scammers send a fake message from the bank number with a confirmation code.

Simple rules of behaviour on the Internet will ensure the user’s absolute safety when visiting web resources. Do not give out personal data to anyone, under any pretext, and do not blindly trust winnings lotteries.