You learned it as a child: "Don't talk to strangers!" Many people would never dream of giving intimate details of their personal life to an unfamiliar person on the street. But people are somehow less inhibited when on a mobile device or the computer. And online scammers are very clever when it comes to getting their victims' money or personal information.
While it’s impossible to keep up with every new type of online scam, this article covers some of the most popular ones out there and provides tips on how you can avoid becoming a victim.
Online Scams: Know What to Look For
The following popular online scams try to trick you out of your money or your personal information.
Basic Phishing Scams
“Phishing” is the criminal process of attempting to acquire sensitive personal information like usernames, passwords, credit card details, and other personal information by masquerading as a legitimate company in an email message or website. Scammers often use copycat versions of familiar logos, names, and symbols as a trap for the unwary. (To learn more about phishing, see Email Scams and Frauds.)
A key warning sign of a phishing scam is an email message that asks you to provide personal information that the company should already have. For example, your bank should already know your account number and all related personal information. So, always be suspicious if you receive a request for this kind of information.
Dating Scams
Internet dating scams vary a little in the story the scammer uses to lull the victim, but the basic principles are similar: The scammer promises companionship, love, and sometimes even marriage, only to con money out of the victim—sometimes tens of thousands of dollars.
The scam might involve the victim sending the scammer money or, in some cases, the scammer sends the victim bank checks. The scammer then asks the victim to cash the checks and send the money back to the scammer. The checks are fake, of course, and when the U.S. bank discovers it, the victim is responsible for repaying the bank.
While some dating or matchmaking websites are legitimate—and not everyone using them is a fraudster—here are a few signs of a potential scam:
- The person you’re corresponding with asks for money like to pay personal medical bills, for a business venture, or for proposed travel arrangements to meet you, very early on in the relationship, especially before you've spoken or met face-to-face.
- The person lives overseas and has never been to the U.S, or claims to be from the U.S., but is traveling or working abroad.
- The person claims to be in love very quickly.
Fake IRS Email Scams
A typical IRS email scam is pretty simple. You get an email message supposedly from the IRS with a subject line that says you underreported your income, you owe taxes, or that threatens an audit. The sender's email address makes it look as though the email came from the IRS. The email also contains either an attachment or a link to a website.
When you open the attachment or follow the link, you activate a virus that downloads to your computer. Many of these viruses are designed to collect personal information stored on your computer, like passwords, bank information, and your Social Security number. The virus then sends that information to the person who made the virus.
Tips to Help You Avoid Online Scams
Here are some tips to protect yourself against online scams.
- Always question a request for highly valuable information that you get in an email message instead of by more secure means. Investigate the request before responding. Scammers often try to force a sense of urgency to get a quick response, before you have time to check whether the message is legitimate.
- Don't give anyone you don't know and trust your Social Security, bank account, credit card numbers, or other personal information.
- If the crime involved your credit card, debit card, or your bank account, report it to your financial institution right away.
- Don’t open emails from people you don’t know, and don’t open attachments from senders you don’t recognize or in suspicious-looking emails from known contacts. Don’t send a reply either.
- If an email came from a business you're familiar with, and you want to know if it’s legitimate, contact the company by phone or by a separate message and ask if the email you received is authentic.
- Don't cash any checks or money orders without contacting the "bank" that supposedly issued them to make sure they're legitimate.
- When it comes to online relationships, don’t send money. One request will often lead to another. In the end, you might lose your money and the person you thought you knew will disappear. Take your time, be careful, and ask questions before you decide that the person you met online is right for you.
- Have an anti-virus program installed on your computer, and make sure it's running before you connect to the Internet or open emails.
- Have a firewall on your computer that stops hackers from gaining access. A firewall can also block viruses and worms.
- Clean your computer regularly by scanning for viruses and other malicious files, like spyware.
To learn more about avoiding scams, see How to Avoid Common Scams.
Getting Help
If you've already become the victim of a scam, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). You may also report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center and your state Attorney General. If you want to learn about your rights, like whether you might be able to sue a scammer to get your money back, consider contacting a consumer protection attorney.
