Do you know what it means to protect yourself from scammers? Are you aware of the terms identity theft, scammers, or phishing?
I guess since we live in the 21st century we all should be more or less aware of these terms even though we might not know exactly what they mean.
Let me start this post by giving explanations of these terms.
According to the Cambridge dictionary, a scammer is a person who commits fraud or participates in a dishonest scheme.
Phishing, on the other hand, is a type of social engineering attack often used to steal user data, including login credentials and credit card numbers. It occurs when an attacker, masquerading as a trusted entity, dupes a victim into opening an email, instant message, or text message (https://www.imperva.com/learn/application-security/phishing-attack-scam/).
Identity (ID) theft happens when someone steals your personal information to commit fraud. The identity thief may use your information to apply for credit, file taxes, or get medical services. These acts can damage your credit status, and cost you time and money to restore your good name (https://www.usa.gov/identity-theft).
As some of you may know, I have studied informatics and worked in IT companies for several years, so I consider myself a bit more aware of the many faces of scamming than most people are. However, it has happened to me also and all I have to say is that only one moment of less attention is enough.
Let me share some personal scammer experiences that could prove helpful for you to protect from scammers.
The Credit / Debit Card Scammer Websites
This has happened a long time ago. I was so eager to buy a specific and old limited edition of a book that I just couldn’t wait. I had searched about it in every bookstore online and managed to find it in only one which I had never visited before. Everything seemed ok and there was nothing that could make me suspect that something was wrong.
When Something Is Too Good To Be True, It Probably Isn’t.
The first mistake I made was that I wanted to have that book as soon as possible, so I did not take time to do any research regarding the credibility of the specific online bookstore. I proceeded and made the purchase using my debit card.
When I pushed the button to pay it seemed like I had a problem loading the page. I got no confirmation that the payment was completed nor that it was not. I suspected that something was wrong so I did not repeat the process to buy the book again, but I took no further action, just closed my browser and forgot about it. The damage was done.
The scammers had already collected my debit card info. The smart thing on their behalf is that they did no transaction using my card for more than a month. I even forgot that something out of the ordinary ever happened.
Back then I used to check on my bank account transactions on specific days every month and paid attention only to transactions that were over 50 euros. This is why I missed what they were doing for more than a year.
Check Your Transactions Regularly to Protect Yourself from Scammers.
They would collect 20 euros out of my account every month and within the period I would probably not check my account. When I realized what was happening I had already lost the total amount of 300 euros.
I know you might say that 20 euros are not such a great amount. But what if they do it to hundreds or thousands of people at the same time?
When I found out what was happening I checked all my transactions to check how back would that go and realized that it was happening every month (not on a specific date) for more than a year. I contacted my bank and canceled my card, also sent them a report of all these transactions that were not done by me. The bank refunded me with the lost amount and it ended there.
The Family Emergency Scam
Not too long ago some lady called my mother crying and impersonating me while she was telling her that I was involved in a car accident and I would lose my leg if I don’t get surgery right away. For the surgery to take place money was needed and to make it easy for her somebody would go to her house to collect the money.
I had informed my mother about this type of fraud and since I live away she suspected them. She just let her finish what she had to say, wished her luck, and hung up the phone. She then called my mobile to say good morning and when she realized I was fine she told me what had happened and we informed the police.
To protect yourself from scammers, contact the person in need yourself through the contact information you have.
The same day my aunt, which is over 90 years old with lots of medical issues, had a similar call. She totally believed it and almost collapsed out of her fear. They were asking for money and she had none since she had not received her pension for the month yet. She was in awful condition because she felt that she could not help her daughter.
When the scammers were convinced my aunt really had no money they could steal they hung up. She immediately called her son to inform him about the accident and ask him for money. He suspected the fraud. Her daughter was fine of course but my aunt was terrified for days afterward.
The PayPal Scam Email
Recently someone contacted a friend of mine, who was selling a piece of furniture through a really credible site. She wanted to purchase it. The contact was through email but was really normal. Nothing strange that could make you suspect. They talked a bit about the price and when they both agreed she asked my friend for a PayPal account where she could deposit the amount and she would take it through a shipping agency.
Especially this part of the PayPal account made my friend feel even more confident that it was ok. The “buyer” even asked my friend for her Viber account to contact her when she would complete the deposit so that she won’t miss it. When she made the deposit order she told her that she would receive an email and had to reply that she accepts the deposit in her PayPal account.
My friend had not used PayPal again for money exchange between 2 individuals so she was not aware of the process. But it did not seem strange to request permission for a transaction when it involves money.
What should seem suspicious is that the email asking for permission went to Junk emails and not normal Inbox as the rest of PayPal emails. However, she was eager to complete the process and continue whatever else she was doing. After all, she was just going to accept a money deposit in her account. Nothing more. And we are talking about PayPal accounts. What is the worst thing that could happen?
To Protect from Scammers Verify The Validity of The Email Sender
The email she received was using PayPal logos and formal language convincing enough that it was what it was supposed to be. She replied that she accepts the transaction and minutes afterward she received another email from “PayPal”. This email was stating that her acceptance meant she had accepted a deposit of a much larger amount in her account which also included the fees of the shipping agency which would transfer the furniture.
Tp protect yourself verify the validity of each request involves money transactions by contacting directly the sender through official contact information. Do not use the contact information that exist in the email that looks suspicious.
In order for the full amount to be released and end up in my friend’s account, she should first deposit the amount to the shipping agency on its website using her card. Of course, my friend did not visit any hyperlink nor did she even think of paying anything. She decided to keep the furniture and search for another buyer.
However, having in mind that the communication was with PayPal, she replied to this second email that she denies the transaction. This second email was full of disclaimers about the PayPal policy on online transactions and all the laws that protect peoples’ money.
After she sent the denial email, her Viber did not stop…The “buyer” kept on calling her to increase the pressure on her. My friend did not answer the calls and then messages kept coming saying in a few words that “You stole my money! You will get in trouble and get arrested”.
At the same time, another email arrived again from PayPal stating that her denial to accept the transaction she had already accepted was illegal and that she should face the law if she did not complete the requested payment within 3 hours.
Protect from Scammers Who Try to Evoke Fear and Make You Believe You Are in Danger.
My friend terrified forwarded me the emails asking for my advice and updated me about the full story. I advised her to continue not answering the calls or messages. To contact her bank and PayPal to report what happened and afterward to contact the police.
Of course, it was not PayPal behind this. My friend’s bank and PayPal account were not in danger since she did not proceed with giving away her card information.
How To Protect Yourself From Scammers
1. Stay Alerted and Protect From Scammers As Much As Possible.
It would be nice if everyone was honest and legal but scammers do exist. Be extra careful with your personal information. Potentially any new contact could be a scammer. Protect yourself from scammers.
2. Try To Be Aware Of Who You Are Contacting.
Either we talk about a person or about a business, like an online store, try to do your research and find out more, use google search or check if you know somebody else who has met them or shopped from there. If a friend of yours or just somebody of your contacts sends you a message that you find strange, try to contact him/her directly to confirm that they were the ones who sent you the message.
3. Be Extra Careful With e-Mail Attachments And Hyperlinks
When you receive emails that for some reason seem suspicious do not open attachments or click on hyperlinks. If the contact is let’s say your bank or PayPal asking for your action verify the validity of the request by contacting directly to the sender through contact information you get from another source, eg. Google search. Do not use the contact information that exists in the suspicious email.
4. Be Careful While Doing Online Transactions
Do not share your bank cards info unless you are absolutely sure that the specific site is trustworthy and secure. While doing an online transaction if something out of the ordinary happens, you should better leave the transaction for later. Try to contact someone to report the incident, either the e-shop or your bank. If it is not possible, check your account regularly for strange transactions to protect from scammers.
5. Make Sure All Your Personal Information Are Secured
Share sensitive information carefully and only with people you trust. Do not share too much of your personal information on Social Media. Make sure you review your social media account security settings. When you identify something suspicious in social media make sure you report it.
6. Make Good Use Of Passwords
Secure all your accounts, computers, mobile devices, and Wi-Fi network with passwords. Try to memorize all of them and don’t have them written anywhere. If that is not possible make sure that you keep them somewhere where they are secured. Make sure you choose secure and complicated passwords that you change regularly. Do not use the same password everywhere.
7. Protect from Scammers and Be Extra Careful With Unfamiliar Payment Methods
When you are asked to use a payment method that you have not used before you should better avoid it. If you have reasons to believe that this new method is safe, try to do your research and/or ask a friend of yours whom you know is familiar with it to make sure about all relevant details. Avoid using visual currencies eg. Bitcoin as these transaction methods are not as protected as other transaction methods. This means that once you send your money you won’t get them back.
Conclusion
I used to receive those emails about the lottery ticket I won or the heritage that a rich lost relative had left for me for which I should pay a small amount of money for the legal issues to have the foul amount and I was thinking that these scammers are looking out for fools.
Yes, some of the methods scammers use are absolutely ridiculous for somebody who is even the least suspicious. But nowadays they evolve their methods and become more sophisticated. They try to become as believable as possible. The more suspicious people get the more sophisticated the scammers become.
Scammers want to take advantage of your even one minute of not paying enough attention. They use human feelings to their benefit. They want to cause you fear and frustration in order to make you not think clearly.
Scammers target everyone and we all might be vulnerable to scammers from time to time. Protect yourself from scammers and stay safe!
Did you have any similar experiences?
More Information on How You Can Protect From Scammers You May Find at The Following Links:
- https://www.usa.gov/identity-theft
- https://www.imperva.com/learn/application-security/phishing-attack-scam/
- https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/types-of-scams/attempts-to-gain-your-personal-information/identity-theft
- ID Theft – Informative video by Strathfield Council
- https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/get-help/protect-yourself-from-scams
- https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/about-scamwatch/tools-resources/online-resources
It’s scary how sophisticated scammers have become. You’re right, people only need to drop their concentration for a second and they could end up the victim of a scam.
Thank you for sharing your stories and giving some advice for staying safe online. We could all do with reminding ourselves of these regularly! I constantly check my bank account and make sure I know exactly what each payment is. Like you’ve said, some scammers could do things slowly and for low amounts that might fly under the radar. Unfortunately we live in a time where extra vigilance is needed.
Exactly that! thank you so much for taking time to read and comment my post! really appreciate it 🙂
Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry that someone called your mother impersonating you! I hate that scammers exist 😔 But well done for sharing this valuable message x
The way scammers work is really awful!It is totally out of my character even try to understand how immoral they are…
I hope my post will help people. Thank you Caroline for reading and commenting!
I can’t believe how morally bankrupt the scammers are. Thank you for this very important blog post
Thank you for reading it and taking time to comment!
It is really disturbing. I keep getting fake Paypal emails telling me my account needs unlocking. It is a sad situation.
Thank you Jamie for reading it and for shariing your experience with scammers!
Great tips! Staying safe online is so important – it can be so easy to click on the wrong link on an email, scammers can be so sneaky! Thanks for sharing such an important and informative post.
Most things of our lives today are onlline and online security is of major importance. Thank you for reading it and I am glad you liked it!
Scammers are getting pretty sophisticated these days. I’ve had a few email scams come through but these particular ones are really obvious. Other scams through calls or texts are pretty legit looking and I can see how some people get pulled into them. The PayPal experience your friend had sounded very stressful and the ones saying someone is hurt is exceptionally cruel. Thanks for the reminder to remain vigilant!
Thank you Molly for sharing your opinion on it! Scammers evolve their methods and it is really easy if you are not concentrated enough or don’t think clearly to be cheated.
Thank you Jodie for taking time to read and share your experiences with scammers! We should all do whatever possible to keep ourselves safe.
That is the right thing to do Stacey. Thank you for taking time to read and share your opinion on it! also thank you for sharing your experience with scammers!
stay safe 🙂
A similar thing happened to my brother. They called my mother and said some weird things and had the name and the name of his college right so my mother thought it was real. But then she called my brother while he was in school and realized it was scammers. It can be really creepy at times. They are everywhere! Also, they love to take advantage of elder people as they know they don’t understand much and will be always ready to give money for their children. This is really sad.
I am glad you and your family are safe. Thanks for sharing this, it is very important to be aware of these situations.
Scammers are really immoral! Good to know your mother didn’t fall for their fraud.Thank you very much Inna for reading it and taking time to share your experience!
oh my gosh, this is so scary! but such an informative post. i’m sorry this happened to you.
Thank you for reading and taking time to comment 🙂
Absolutely love this post! It’s so important to keep ourselves safe from scams, and it can happen to anyone! I’ve had a few emails saying they have videos off me and to transfer money so they wouldn’t get leaked, they didn’t as I keep ally cameras covered anyway and I knew to report the emails but for someone who may not know it’s a scam could potentially loose out on so much money and it’s not fair! Thank you for sharing.
I have received similar emails also but I also have all my cameras covered. See, I forgot to write about that 🙂
Anyway, Scamminig is such an immoral act and we all should protect ourselves.
Thank you for sharing your experience with scammers!
This is such a helpful post. I definitely think scammers are becoming more difficult to spot at times. There’s been a few times where I’ve had a text and I’m not sure if its honest or not.
I think that for whatever we are not absolutely sure it is honest we should all by default assume that it is not.I am glad you found it helpful Kelly. Thank you!
A lot of us, especially the older generation, would like to believe that we are smart and will notice scammers but we often don’t. My aunt’s husband lost a bunch of money recently due to believing a clearly scammy call. So we should never stop learning and spreading awareness. Your story with the regular transactions is so scary, I should start checking my account as well haha.
All scamming stories are scary I think. The fact that in some way you contact a total stranger who gets access to your personal information and money is scary. I am so sorry to hear about your aunt’s husband. Something is clear scamming only to someone who suspects that and scammers are aware of that.
Take care and protect yourself! thank you for taking time to read and comment 🙂
I am always so careful online. The only people who get my money are friends or companies I’ve carefully researched.
Cora | https://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/
That is the best you can do. You should also be very careful with all your personal information. Thank you for steping by and commenting 🙂
It is so easy to be scammed these days and a blog post like this is great to raise awareness!!
Nice to know you appreciate it Adele. Thank you <3
Thank you for sharing this information, it is very useful.
Amazing, please continue.
Thank you for nice words and your support! really appreciate it 🙂
This is such a great and informative read. I’m super gullible and if it weren’t for my boyfriend I definitely would have fell victim to scammers.
Good think you have him to protect you in this case 🙂 We should all be more suspicious and protect ourselves from scammers. Glad you found my post informative. Take care and stay safe! Thank you for commenting<3
When I was looking for work I applied for a job through a trusted job board and it ended up the job was a Scam. I had few other jobs that I found out were I scans. During the interview process the questions were strange and they were always over email. Its crazy how many scams are out there.
Oh yeah, I’d definitely avoid buying from website I don’t know. Since giving out our payment details is within our control, being picky in where we send them is the first step in protecting ourselves. Thanks for sharing your experience and for enlightening others!
Sometimes we all get tricked because we find something is “super offer” or “what you cannot find anywhere else”. But since scamming is everywhere we should all be more carefull. Thank you Stuart for taking time to read and comment 🙂
It’s awful how many different scams there are going on these days. That’s horrible that someone called your mum and aunt like that! I hope they’re ok now. Great tips, thanks for sharing x
Scamming is awful and immoral! thank you for taking time to read and share your opinion about it 🙂
Interesting post. Thank you!
Thank you!
I love this post Eri. Thank goodness I have never fallen prey to any of these scammers. I have heard of so many people that have been scammed and it’s saddening how some people make scamming others their job. I am always very careful when buying from the internet. I never buy from websites I don’ know and also, as a blogger, I receive some emails that suggest a paid collaboration and I always try to verify how legit the company reaching out is. Prevention is way better than cure lol. Thank you for sharing!
You are definately right Ruth! Prevention is always better than cure in any case 🙂
I am glad you know how to protect yourself from scammers.
Thank you very much for reading and commenting! take care and stay safe <3
This was a very interesting read and such an important one mostly now! There have been so many calls, texts and emails for scams during the pandemic! Hope these tips can help a lot of people!
I hope it will be helpful Cristina! Thank you so much for taking time to read and share your opinion about it. Really appreciate it!
It’s so scary that these scammers are around. I often get emails from companies that look legitimate and have a company name on them. But when you look at the email address you can see it’s fake. But many people don’t know to do that. I had a phone call the other day which was a scam. So I hung up and googled it and found loads of articles talking about it. I hate that they prey on people’s fears about healthy and safety and loved family members. It’s so awful
Scamming is awful and immoral Emma! I really hate it. Thank you for taking time to read and share your opinion and your experience with scamming 🙂
Thank you for sharing such an informative blog post. I am sure this will be really helpful.
Thank you for commenting 🙂
This is such an important message. These scammers seem to get smarter and smarter, preying on the vulnerable. I have stopped answering my phone unless I recognize the number, but now scammers can spoof the number so it looks like someone you know.
Some of the scam emails make me roll my eyes because they look so bad. Others look really legit. I almost got caught on an email from “Apple” a few years ago. I got as far as entering my password but when they asked for my bank account information I got the heck out of there and contacted Apple.
Thank God you did not fall for them! I have also stopped answering my phone unless I know the caller. The unknown numbers I google them and if I understant who is calling I call back. Scammers are such immoral persons!
Anyway, thank you Michele for taking time to read, share your opinion and experience with scammers! really appreciate it!
Stay safe 🙂
Great post, and some really fantastic tips to stay safe and beat the scammers. It’s scary just how prevalent these scams are, and how sophisticated they have become! Thanks for sharing all this information.
Thank you for your kind words!
This is a very insightful post, and it’s so worrying that scams are getting more and more clever… thank you for sharing these ideas x
Scammers’ actions should make us all worry more! thank you for reading my post and taking time to comment!
I hate scammers and people who try to steal people online. Need to be careful and add more steps to verify security.
Thank you Fransic for reading it and sharing your opinion about it!
There are so many scams going around at the moment, is difficult to keep up with all of them! Thank you for sharing these and raising some awareness x
Unfortunately scammers are everywhere nowdays Simona. Thank you for reading and commenting!
The family emergency scams are pretty similar to the dating scams it would seem. In dating scams after they’ve messaged for a while would ask for money to help them with something or ask for money to help pay to come visit the the person they’re talking to.
The scams I think most people are at risk of nowadays are the Facebook ads scams for shops claim to selling great products cheaply, which they’ve often copies from Etsy stores and repurposed. Those scams I see several times a day on Facebook
I was not aware of these type of scams. Thank you for contributing to this discussion with this valuable comment.
I always check my transactions daily. Mainly because I have direct debits going out regularly!
Thank you Amie for commenting!
This is such an informative post. Thanks for the pointers on how to safeguard ourselves from scammers. These days scammers are using new techniques to fraud people.
Will share this blog.
Thank you! I am glad you found this post helpful 🙂
Yes, scamming is really horrible. Thank you Lou for reading and commenting!
These are great tips! I’ve purchased things that were a scam online so I don’t like to shop online. These tips help to keep us aware. Thanks for sharing!
Glad you found my post helpful! thank you for commenting!
God scammers do my head in. They’ve got so clever and it’s easy to see how people fall for them. I’m so vigilant with things like this, I basically don’t open or reply to anything from my bank / paypal or anything like that, I’ll call the place directly and ask them if they sent this first.
What you do is the best thing you could do! Thank you for your comment Jenny!
There is so much to look out for these days! The text ones are the worst, so easy to click on a click that you shouldn’t! I haven’t yet but it’s been too close. Thanks for the info, great post!
Exactly Sarah! The fraud is just one click away! thank you for tking time to read and comment 🙂
This is such an informative post! I’m sorry that you and so many people you know have become victim to fraudsters. I’m glad you were able to get your money back! I’d like to think I was pretty aware when it comes to dodgy emails or phone calls, it’s surprising how many are still out there! I’ve been getting lots of text message ones recently, but I just ignore and delete. Great tips at the end too!
Claire.
http://www.clairemac.co.uk
Good to know that you know how to keep yourself safe from scammers! Truth is that they have evolved their methods a lot. Hope you found it helpful! Thank you for reading and commenting 🙂
Thank you for sharing this informative and helpful post. I hate scammers especially the ones that prey on elderly or vulnerable people!
They are totally immoral I agree with you. Thank you for reading and commenting 🙂
Very good post. Great information. 🙂
Thank you! I am glad you found it informative!
Scary! I have scammers try to call and scam my elderly patients all day. I had one call up saying he was her “Grandson”, and needed bail money, she told him she didn’t have a Grandson. I hope they never fall for it. Thanks for this valuable information.
Scammers are truly unethical. I am glad you liked it and found it helpful! Thank you ❤️