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Online fraud, also known as phishing or spoof scams, occurs when scammers gain access to personal information and make illegal transactions. It can happen through emails, websites, and pop-up windows. Avoid opening emails from unknown senders, update anti-virus software, and never enter personal information online. Report any scams to official agencies to prevent others from becoming victims.
Online fraud occurs when a scammer acts as a legitimate organization to gain access to your personal information and make illegal transactions with your account. This type of scam can also be referred to as a phishing or spoof scam. It can occur through emails, websites and pop-up windows.
Frauds using fake emails are often the easiest to detect, even though they may appear to be legitimate. Emails asking for personal information are usually phishing scams. Such emails will often have a common salutation with the body of the email indicating that your information has been compromised. The email will then ask you to enter your account number, social security number, or other identifying information. A legitimate credit card company or bank will never ask you for your personal information through an email or a link on their website.
Some online fraud schemes are done through emails offering you work from home jobs. You may be required to fill out a tax form or enter your Social Security number or other personal information to acquire a position with the company. This is usually done as an attempt to steal your identity. Illegitimate home-based accounting jobs threaten the identities of you and the clients whose account information you are entering, making you an unknown accomplice in the fraudulent scheme.
Be wary of online fraud schemes involving fake rewards or gift cards. In order to win these prizes, many scammers require you to complete a survey, then slyly ask you for your personal information at the end. This is often entered without a second thought.
You can avoid being a victim of online fraud if you take some precautionary measures. The most important step you can take to avoid being scammed or having your identity stolen is to never open emails from unknown senders; if you don’t know who it is, delete it. If it looks like the message might be from your bank or credit card company, call the company directly. Emails asking for your passwords or personal information are likely fraudulent, as legitimate companies already have access to that information and should never request it by email or over the phone.
To avoid receiving fraudulent pop-ups, update your anti-virus and spyware software. Many programs will install a firewall on your computer that will not allow these pop-up ads to pass through. If you get a pop-up, close it immediately and never enter your information. Legitimate companies will never ask for your information via a pop-up ad.
The key to avoiding online fraud is keeping your personal information private. Unless you’ve gone to a website verified through your actions, never enter this information online. If you encounter a phishing scam or other form of online fraud, report it to your email provider and official agencies, such as the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) and the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) in the United States, to prevent an unsuspecting person from becoming a victim of fraud.
