Scamming is something that has been around for a very long time because there have always been people trying to take advantage of others they believe to be gullible. Before the internet age, most scammers used telephones and other available means to relieve people of their hard earned cash. However, the internet has made their jobs much easier for them.
According to digitalconnectmag one of the reasons scammers have been using the internet to cheat people out of their money is the fact that it is more difficult for authorities to track them. Someone living in a third world country can use a proxy or VPN to mask their location, which makes it difficult to determine exactly where they are.
Some of these scammers also use sophisticated methods to cheat unsuspecting targets, which means even veteran internet users can fall for their scams.
If you’re unfamiliar with the way scammers operate, here are a few tips to help you keep your data secure.
* Never click a link or download attachments in an email if you are unsure of the source. The link or attachment could contain a virus or malware designed to collect private information from your computer.
* Never give out your personal information if you receive an email from a bank or financial institution. The reason you shouldn’t provide your personal information is that your financial institution already has it and will never ask for it in an email. If you have any business with the bank that requires you to provide personal information, do it in person at your closest branch.
* If you receive an email telling you that you just won a large sum of money or you’ve been approved for a loan you never applied for, don’t bother opening up or responding to the email. This is a classic example of a phishing email, where the scammers will direct you to a legitimate looking website where you will be asked to provide personal information to claim the “prize” you won.
* You can easily spot a scam email by paying attention to the little details. Most email scams are written by people who don’t speak very good English, meaning there will be a lot of typos and grammatical errors, letting you know they are fake.
* Keep your anti-virus software updated and run a virus scan on your computer at least once a day. This helps eliminates any viruses or malware you might have accidentally picked up when you opened an email from a scammer.
* Report the spam email to prevent receiving more from the sender.
For more information on how to keep your data secure, visit Data Label.