Scams and cons have existed almost as long as humans have. There are reasons, inherent to humans, that makes them go down this path and use others for their own benefit. It could be said that some do it because they can and some because they need financial support. There are instructions and advisory on fraud by governing authorities, yet these scammers get away with stealing personal information, data and even money. Almost all scams are executed for financial gain and the end result is that either you lose your money or get in legal trouble. Here is a list of some scam techniques used by fraudsters to get some sort of benefit.
Fake donation request
Some scammers use a person’s goodness to their benefit and they run what is called a charity scam. They will call you up and say that they are from a certain charity or NGO. You may or may not have heard of them, but they always come up after a large-scale tragedy. For example, when the Tsunami hit Asia, there were multiple scammers asking for donations to provide relief to those affected. On the call, they will insist that you must donate to them and will even ask you to do it through your credit card. Never donate to a charity on the spot, because once they have your card details, they will charge you on that and max it out. Instead, if you really want to donate, you must go through that charity’s official website.
Online romance
This is the most common type of scam that takes place and scammers prey on the loneliness of single people. They will meet their victim through an online dating site or app or even a chat room. Then they will begin a long-distance romantic relationship. They will say that they are staying in a distant country or state, most likely not a developed country. They will continuously say how much they care for you and want to be with you and then start asking for small sums of money. Usually, they will say something like their mother is unwell or they had an accident and need money for hospitalization. They may go further and say that they want to relocate for marriage and ask for a very large sum. Once they have milked you, they would disappear. You may need to use your own means to find what happened. And in such cases, you can contact organizations like Mississauga Private Investigators.
Fake shopping online
Fake websites offer great fake deals on branded and expensive items. These sites have URLs that look similar to well-known websites. Think Amazon as Amaz0n, see the difference, it is quite minute. If you buy something from these websites you will probably lose your money, get overcharged on your credit card or get a completely fake product. Through form jacking a website can be hacked and shoppers can get redirected to a fraudulent page for payment. The scammers will steal the credit card information as well as all personal information.
IRS scam
When you receive communication from IRS, it immediately gets your attention. Scammers can pretend to be from IRS and say that you owe taxes. You will be pushed to immediately make payment which can be done through iTunes or Green Dot cards. They may demand payment through other means too. But never pay tax immediately while being on a call. This is one of the most common types of scam techniques used by fraudsters.