How to recognize scams on the internet

Internet scams

The Internet is a tool that offers great advantages, including the rapid acquisition and dissemination of knowledge and the ability to maintain constant contact and communication. However, there is the possibility of encountering scams, which are increasingly sophisticated, dangerous, and difficult to detect.

According to recent surveys, half of Italians fear falling for scams that conceal viruses or unknowingly activating dialers that insinuate themselves into their computers via a self-installing mechanism.

The people most affected by the scam appear to be the youngest, aged between 18 and 32.

 

Recognizing scams on the internet: the decalogue released by Codacons

Codacons has issued a decalogue including simple but important rules to follow in order to recognize and defend against scammers, with particular attention to scams that are spread by email.

• 1 Avoid sharing your email address by posting messages on blog, forums and other websites.
• 2 Avoid using your email address to register on suspicious or little-known websites.
• 3 Use, for strictly personal communications or communications deemed important, only certified mail services, such as Yahoo Mail and Gmail.
• 4 If you want to send an email to multiple recipients, enter the names in the appropriate field in clear text but hidden using BCC mode.
• 5 Do not reply to emails that your email service places in your spam folder and never click on pop-ups that appear when you open an email you receive.
• 6 Install a valid antivirus and periodically scan for viruses.
• 7 Surfing websites with a secure connection.
• 8 Do not enter your personal data on request if the open site is not completely reliable.

 

Recognizing Internet Scams: The Most Common and Dangerous Scams

But what are the main types of scams we can run into while surfing the internet?

Fraudsters leverage people's needs such as the need to find work.

The most common online scams, along with phishing, scam emails, and fake WhatsApp messages, are also fake job ads and romance scams.

 

How to recognize scam emails

Among the clues that should immediately make us suspicious, we find first of all the foreign sender (American, Chinese, African) and the subject of the email (money won, notice of blocking of the email account or bank account, etc.).

If the suspicious email contains attachments, never download the document; it could be a phishing attempt or malware designed to steal your PC files.

 

The risks of whatsapp

On Facebook page "A social life" The Postal Police has disclosed some of the frauds that can occur while using the popular instant messaging app.

• “WhatsApp has expired” or “your subscription is about to expire.”
  As the Postal Police explains, the message requires the user to enter their phone number. This will activate a €20 subscription to a wallpaper app.
  After receiving one of these two messages, you must not respond and immediately turn off and restart your mobile phone.

 

• “WhatsApp Gold”.
  In this case, the fake message reads: “Hey, the secret version of WhatsApp has finally arrived. This version – the Gold version – is used only by big celebrities. Now you can use it too.”
  In fact, once installed on the cell phone, it allows scammers to control the device.

 

• Audio message does not exist.
  While using WhatsApp, you may receive a message announcing an audio message on your voicemail. This concerns malware that allows scammers to control the apps installed on your device and capture photos to blackmail you.

 

• “Download new emoticons.”
  In reality, the message is simply a gateway used by scammers to install viruses on your device. The Postal Police warns that any emoticon updates are never notified via in-app messages.
• The Postal Police also reminds you that it is advisable not to open links included in text messages received on WhatsApp or other instant messaging apps or social networks.

 

Internet scams: fake job advertisements

Scammers use reputable websites or social networks, such as LinkedIn, deemed equally trustworthy, to post and distribute advertisements containing fake job offers. The goal is to obtain large sums of money.

After obtaining the bank transfer, which the victims claim is necessary to secure the job they so desire, the scammers also request their bank details, thus resulting in identity theft.

To recognize this type of scam, it is necessary to keep in mind the characteristics of a serious job offer:

• The sender of the job offer is usually not a single individual, but a company, which presents itself with an identity made easily recognizable by information such as name, location, company name, VAT number, and company email address.
• A serious job ad contains all the information about the type of work offered; therefore, you should be wary of generic messages such as "contact me if you want to earn money" or "write to me for information."
• A legitimate job ad will never ask for payment for the materials needed to start the job.

 

 

The sentimental scam through the internet

Among romance scams, the channel used in this case is, in most cases, Facebook.

After assuming the identity of a gentleman, the scammer contacts female profiles on the social network and, after a tense courtship, pretends to need money to get out of a serious problem he has encountered in some foreign country.

The scammer sends photocopied documents on other profiles on the site to the unfortunate and scams video calls on Skype with special software.

Once he receives the requested sum, he will either ask for more or sever all contact with the victim. According to an FBI report, in 2011, romance scams drove approximately 10,000 women, mostly between the ages of 40 and 60, into debt.

It's worth noting that Jolanda Bonino founded an association in Italy to help victims of this type of online scam.
The “Marie Anne Erize” Anti-Violence Center, present in Rome, has published a real guide to recognizing romance scams.

It's crucial to "study" the suitor's Facebook page: some of the first warning signs include a very low number of friends, a complete lack of personal information, and infrequent updates on the page. When asked specific questions, the person will always respond vaguely and imprecisely and provide fake phone numbers, usually beginning with the +4470 prefix.

Facebook also offers an additional tool for investigating the character: by right-clicking on the profile photo, you can search for the image on Google and thus find out if it has been copied from other websites.

The criminal's profile is quite recognizable: scammers usually present themselves as middle-aged, widowed men, successful managers dejected by the sadness of their love life and in search of their soul mate.

 

Recognizing scams on the internet: the tools offered by the PS Online Commissariat

If you believe you have identified or are the victim of an internet scam, it is important to immediately contact the Postal Police station, which has an online website and Facebook page.
The place, managed by technicians and investigators, it contains three main areas:

• informed (news and updates in real time on scams on the net, information on dangerous software and advice)
• question (section for immediate contact with the Postal Police if you believe you are in the presence of a scam or computer crime)
• Collaborate (section dedicated to reporting and reporting of electronic crimes).

In official Facebook page of the PS Online Commissariat – In Italy, it's possible to stay constantly updated on online crimes and scams.

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