Scammers: How To Avoid Them

The internet has developed greatly over past decade or two. More people have access to it on a daily basis than ever before. Furthermore, the number of transactions taking place online are at an all time high. It has become an economic superpower. Now with its great importance and ease of use the internet has become home to more than just innocent people carrying out their innocent daily duties. It has become a busy work area for cyber criminals and you need to be careful of them or you can lose everything. We are going to be discussing those cyber criminals particularly those involved in scams.

Over the past few years people have become aware of scammers and are able to identify a handful of them. I had to mention the word “handful” as majority of scammers are rarely ever found out. These are extremely intelligent people and they employ various measures to avoid facing the law. Some scam you and you may never know that you have been scammed. Here is where you are most likely to come across scammers and how they operate.

1.    Dating Websites and Apps.  This is the number one spot for scammers. Here they create fake profiles with pictures of other individuals so as to avoid being known. Mature males and females are particularly at risk the most here as these are their target people. They initiate a serious relationships with these people and tell them why they are unable to have video calls. Only photos are exchanged (which aren’t them and are easier to fake). Voice calls may be done as they use fake voices and accents to lure you. When the time is right, they start sharing with you some made up problems that require help. They emotionally capture you to the point where you feel obliged to help. That is when you send them money, and may continue sending them money until you are completely unable to send any more. Afterwards they orchestrate a fight that will give them the opportunity to break up with you. When they break up with you this way you just feel like you were dumped and you fail to realize that the plan was to scam you. Some though are not interested as soon as you are done sending money. They just block and ultimately ghost you.

2.    Social media. Here the scammers are active in the form of fake profiles as well, usually as a famous person or their assistants. These people include famous Prophets and Pastors from all over the world. In this scenario they prompt you to pay tithes to the church or some other payment in support of the church. Some though focus on the more desperate people facing various problems and pose as psychics and black magic doctors promising riches, getting your lover back, larger genitals and the likes of this. They tell you that they need money for certain materials to perform rituals. Some add that the ritual may have failed for some elaborate reason and require you to send more money for further rituals then money for the redo. It becomes a cycle and this cycle stops when you realize that it’s not going to work and decide to leave. Despite this though some realize this but because of the fear of the unknown they are reeled back in to the scam when they are threatened with curses is they fail to finish the sacrifices.

3.    Get Rich Quick Websites. This is also a very common one where scammers convince you that you are investing in some business and you receive your money and interest in a few months. There are plenty of these websites and you are going to need to be aware of this. Be careful when you tread into unsecured websites.

4.    Mailing Lists. This is a very traditional scam. If you haven’t been very careful about where you share your details including e-mail addresses you may have received some emails from some unidentified individuals or businesses. They come to you with personal messages directed towards your desires such as “YOU JUST WON 1000000!!!” or “CLAIM YOUR FREE CAR!!!” Usually the next stage involves you paying a “small” sum to get things going. Do not place your emails on websites that are not reputable. Check for secured websites only, and even then be careful.

The scams mentioned above are only just a few of those that exist. There are plenty more on the internet. I advise you all to take the proper precautions when doing anything on the internet because they are everywhere.