New scams people are now using: do not fall for it

 New scams and criminal tactics criminals are now using: Part 1

Scam is getting worse everyday in all parts in the world and it cannot be stopped easily. Many people fall to those scams and if the people finds out about it they will improve it by making it more legit or more realistic so that one might fall on it thinking it is legit.

Scams and criminal tactics are found globally it cannot be easily stopped if you are not aware of it in this page I'll show you the new scams/tactics criminals use. After you go through this page, you won't be a victim of these scams again. 

1. Online Dating. 

Even though it is not new, the new tactics these scammers are using is now improved. Before we know if the person is actually a scammer who's impersonating someone in other to collect money. They use fake videos of a individual to perform videocalls or use fake voices while making a call so that the victim will believe it is real but it will become obvious that they are making a fake video/voice call due to low technology we had during the last decade. But now since the introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other improvements in technology, scammers have made it realistic and easy and one could fall on to the trap of these scammers.

How to prevent it.

Nowadays, all those online dating scammers do not stay in the same country where you are or in the same city. They also use systems so they won't be tracked by the police and they use the particular SIM Card or IP address of the same country. So unfortunately it will be difficult for the police to track them. But with these prevention tactics, it will help you not to fall victim. 

1. Have a common logic. If are on Instagram/Facebook or Whatsapp and your followers are only the people you know and randomly someone with a beautiful/handsome display pictures send you a friend request, tries to chat with you, likes your pictures or your stories, follows you or sends you a message that actually makes sense to you, mind you it is a scammer who only pretend that he/she is there for you and convince you to date them until they win your trust. If you need attention from people especially from the opposite sex, you will not get genuine attention and real friendship online. 

2. When the individual asks you for money. For a particular reason you need to be extra careful. For example if a individual asks you for money because he/she is hungry, or he/she wants to pay the bills etc. MAKE SURE YOU CHECK THE BANK ACCOUNT/FINANCIAL WALLET DETAILS OF THE INDIVIDUAL. Check if the account name matches the individual name. Don't send money to any account that not matches the individual name even he/she says it is a friend or a relative account number. You can only send to their friends/relatives account number if you have seen the individual in flesh. If the individual asks you he/she needs money so that he/she can pay his/her medical bills or the relatives. ASK HIM/HER TO SEND THE ACCOUNT DETAILS OF THE HOSPITAL. And make sure the hospital exists and how it collects it's payments. If the individual wants to see you but he/she needs money to come, tell he/she to use the little they have, and when they come, you pay back the asked money. And this where to know if the individual is a scammer or not. 

2. Internet web pages.

Phishing websites is mostly common in today's internet fraudsters develop those websites and make it to look legit so that to easily attract users and make them to fall into their trap. They also target users by sending emails, social media messages and advertisements to deceive users to these pages. 

How to prevent it.

1. Beware of Links and Emails. Avoid clicking random links from a email you don't know about. Scammers uses these emails in order to direct users to their fake websites. Verify the sender's identity and check how the email is formatted. If the email is not well formatted it can be a sign of a phishing attempt.

2. Check the website URLs and SSL Certificates. Ensure that you check the website URL carefully before you submit any personal information to the website. Most scammers uses a altered URL to deceive users thinking they are into a legitimate website.

Check for HTTPS and a Padlock icon in your browser address bar if you see a Padlock icon, it indicates that the website has a valid SSL Certificate. The Padlock icon indicates to secure the data transmitted between your device and the website. Only legitimate websites uses SSL Certificates to secure information. 

3. Use Two-Factor Authentication. In your online accounts, enable Two-Factor Authentication. It adds an extra level of security by informing users a second form of verification (example, a one-time code sent to your device) and their usual password. This secures your online accounts and it makes it harder for scammers to access your accounts even if they manage to obtain account information.

4. Keep your Software and Anti-virus Programs Updated. Update your web browser, operating system  and your anti-virus software to protect against security vulnerabilities. 

5. Use a Password manager. It helps to generate strong passwords for each of your online accounts and reducing the breach of single data breach with multiple accounts. 

6. Be updated about the latest phishing tactics. Be informed about the latest phishing tactics. Scammers do not rest and they will always find a way to update their scamming tactics especially now where technology is improving. Share this knowledge with friends, family and colleagues to deal with scams.