4 Ways You Can Avoid Getting Scammed Online

As the number of Internet users grows, so is the sophistication of the Internet scams.

In 2019 alone, 167,798 complaints were registered and $142.9M was siphoned away by scammers.

Their prefered method of execution is phones, the Internet, email and social networking; while their biggest scams are in investment, dating & romance, false billing, hacking and online shopping scams.

So How Can We Avoid Getting Scammed Online

1. Verify the authenticity of the site by reading the customers reviews, the “About Us” page and even contacting a representative before making any purchase.

2. Do not rush to click on links especially email links. Through phishing, a hacker sends a genuine-looking an email that appears to be from a trustworthy company and ask for sensitive information, such as your social security number. Remember that phishing emails are premeditated to raise panic in the reader mind by demanding that you act promptly or face consequences.

3. Usage of a password manager can save you from losing money. They help you manage all your passwords in one place; using stronger password combinations than we could come up with on our own, and luckily, they are constantly updating and improving.

4. Be suspicious of Social media contests like Twitter contests where hackers take advantage of Twitter users by cunningly enticing them to enter contests on for a chance to win exciting prizes, like the latest iPhone or new laptop.
Usually, you will receive a tweet from another Twitter follower telling you about a contest they just entered. They then provide you with a link so you can learn more. The moment you click on the link, a bot will be automatically downloaded. This will compromise your computer, adding it to a list of computers connected to the internet that are used to spread more online scams.

Be safe WAers and be on the alert.