SCAM ALERT - Learn How to Protect Yourself

One of the multiple additional features we have for free here at Wealthy Affiliate is the security and protection of our websites from malware and spam. However we are all still at risk from attack from outside sources not in connection to our websites. Now during the holiday season is when they begin to become more frequent.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SCAMS

Many of us who write product reviews in the make money online niche will give our opinions as to whether an opportunity is a scam or not. But the types of scams I want to discuss today affect all of us regardless if we have a website or not. Being that we are now in the midst of the holiday season, you need to know what to look for and how to protect yourself.

Below I will discuss a few types I am sure you probably have been exposed to already and a couple that you may not have. The one common denominator in the process of protection is using common sense in how not to respond. Most scammers are looking for people who are easy targets and who are not taking the time to look for clues of the scam.

PHISHING EMAIL SCAMS - This type of scam is the most popular and should be the easiest to avoid. But there are still so many people who get fooled by these types of scams. The email is designed to look like an official communication from a trusted website. Some are made to look like confirmations of expensive purchases and have a link to dispute or cancel.

Other types are emails that ask a buyer to confirm a shipping address or alert people that their account is being closed and to confirm you name and address. SOLUTION = The easiest way to avoid getting scammed is to NEVER EVER click on a link in an email. Instead manually type in the web address and confirm the information on the actual website.

FAKE SHIPPING NOTICES - There have been phishing scams that are designed to look like an email from FedEx, DHL, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service that inform you of a delayed or lost shipment. The email will have a link to click for you to either track the package or get information on the lost shipment. Again these emails are designed to get you to quickly react.

These scammers are looking for people who don’t take the time to check things out before reacting. SOLUTION = Again, never click on a link in an email. Either go to the website of the merchant where you made the purchase with or if you already have a tracking number, go to the website of the carrier and confirm the shipping process there.

BRAND NAMED EMAILS - Another type of email known as pharming are those from scammers who design their emails to look like they are from brand name companies. These emails will most times be sent to you during the shopping season when you have never even shopped at these stores. There will be a link advertising some kind of sale or product.

But when you click on the link for the sale or product you give access to your computer to the scammers and you are sent to a cloned website landing page to look real with another link to the real website. SOLUTION = Again, instead of clicking on the sale and product link, manually type in the web address of the retailer and take advantage of the sale there.

CLONED WEBSITES - In a very similar way cloned websites are like the Brand Named websites above that “pharm” your personal information but are based on banking and payment institutions you may use. Most of us have either a Visa or a MasterCard credit card and scammers know this. So they create an authentic looking website login page.

Now when you go to the cloned login page to login to your credit card company or even PayPal, the scammers will harvest your username and password information, then redirect you to the real website. SOLUTION - You should know by now not to click on a link in an email and you especially shouldn’t do so in an unsolicited email from a banking institution.

SMISHING - With the ever growing use of mobile phones for everything that we do scammers are getting more intrusive. Smishing attacks the SMS text messaging of your smartphone and it is becoming a dangerous and effective way to steal your identity. With a smishing attack on your phone a virus is not needed for infection.

When you get smished you will get a text message containing either a link or a phone number. Clicking on the link or making the call will immediately make you vulnerable to data loss and financial theft. SOLUTION - Just like with the phishing emails you should never click on a link or call an unfamiliar phone number.

THINGS TO LOOKOUT FOR

In addition to using your common sense to NEVER click on a link in an unsolicited email or text, you can look for clues. Mouse over the link and see if the URL is from the real website. Another clue of the less sophisticated scam emails will address you as “Dear Customer” or “Dear Member” and some will address you by your first name only.

HOWEVER

Though we are told that legitimate emails will address us by our first and last name really sophisticated scammers will use your full name. You maybe wondering how can these scammers get your full name? Well there has been several high profile hacking cases lately where our full names and personal information has been stolen.

In the above image we see some of the big data breaches of the 21st Century with Yahoo being the biggest with 3 billion accounts compromised. That image shows many other companies we have probably used like Equifax, eBay, JP Morgan Chase, Home Depot, Target Stores, Adobe, Sony PlayStation Network, and there have been many others.

We just recently heard that Google+ is closing down because it was recently hacked and just the other day I viewed a news report that Facebook had been hacked for the second time within a year. I guarantee you that there are hundreds of other online stores, services, banking institutions, as well as brick and mortar stores that have been hacked.

ALWAYS THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK. Use common sense. Do not click on links in unsolicited emails and texts. Do not call phone numbers that appear in texts. If you have actually used a website that you receive an email from, then go to that website to perform any actions. You also will want to change your passwords on a monthly basis.

WHAT WILL YOU DO?

If you are vigilant in your actions of defense by regularly updating your passwords and never clicking links in emails and texts, you will be safer than if you do not do these things. Always assume that your personal data is not safe because data loss threats will also come from public WiFi and any time you use a credit or debit card.

When you have well known companies and stores like Sears, Macy's, Kmart, Saks Fifth Avenue, GameStop, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, Sonic, Adidas, Delta Airlines, Best Buy, Lord & Taylor, Arby's, Panera Bread, Whole Foods, and so many others that large and small that you have interacted with, you MUST be aware.

In the world today it is very easy to be vulnerable to cyber attacks. Unless you pay cash for everything you buy, every time you use plastic money by swiping your card or using the chip, you risk your personal information. Whenever you get an email from a company to change your password, do it immediately but NOT from the email.

If you know of any popular companies I haven't mentioned in this post that have been hacked, please share them below so we can all be informed. What are your thoughts on this ever growing threat? Just think of all the companies not as well known as those above that you interact with that have been hacked. Are you scared yet?