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Living in the digital era means all the information on the Internet is available to us at our fingertips. It’s attractive to have access to this information, and we can enjoy its advantages.
The problem is that with all the availability comes a problem. Countless types of attacks can cause problems; one of the more common ones is scams.
In 2023, the number of cyber scam cases in Singapore jumped by 50%, which is a significant number. Being able to identify and avoid scams is essential, and here are a few tips to help you do that.
Tips to Avoid Cyber Scam
Don’t Fall for the Pressure
Many scam tactics work just by pressure. One of the main reasons why people fall for these is that they are pressured to do something that can hurt them later. A legitimate offering won’t come in the form of pressure to accept it.
Getting a last-minute offer isn’t necessarily a scam, but avoid making instant decisions. Ask for some more information and see what kind of answer you’ll get. Sometimes it can really be a last-minute offer, which maybe isn’t something you should ignore.
Check Online Communities
Getting a too-good-to-be-true offer may be a scam, but it can very well be legitimate. There are multiple ways to verify this, and one of the most popular ones is to check out online communities.
Preceding all of the social media accounts known today, Usenet can be your first step. It’s been around for longer than most people think and contains newsgroups with a lot more information than you may think. Finding the best Usenet provider may take some time, but once you do, you’ll be able to find if the offer is real or a scam.
Do a Proper Research
If you get a text or an email with some offer you wouldn’t want to refuse, the first thing would be to do some research. You already have all the information in the offer, so it’s up to you to figure out if it’s a scam or not.
Check out the company’s information and see if it’s legitimate. Finding some personal information on the person who made the offer can also help make a decision. If there’s enough information available, then it may be a real offer.
Call the Company
In some cases, you may receive an offer from a real company, which makes things seem credible, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it falls in that category. Scammers will often use reputable companies and individuals, which is why some people fall for them.
Reach out to a company representative and explain the situation. No reputable company will be happy to learn of this, but it will do everything in its power to eliminate the potential scam.
Don’t Give Your Personal Information
Another important thing to consider when avoiding scams is not sharing your personal information. Information such as full name, social security number, date of birth, and credit card information are only part of what scammers will try to get out of you. In these cases, it’s essential to determine which information you should give.
Getting a random call from someone claiming it’s from the original company doesn’t mean you can give out any personal information. Similar to before, you should do some research and make sure the offer is legitimate.
One essential thing to note here is that no company will ever ask you for credit care information. It’s essential to determine these and know that it’s a scam.
Keep Your Online Accounts Protected
With social media’s popularity, it’s common to see scam offers through these platforms. Being asked to share information you shouldn’t share with anyone is a red flag and is probably a scam.
It may take some practice to start noticing, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to identify an online scam instantly. Getting a message request from someone you haven’t heard of before is one of the many signs you’re dealing with a scammer.
Report Suspicious Activity
As good as you think you are, sometimes something slips through the cracks, and you may end up “dealing” with a scam situation. The best step here is to inform the essential people of the risk.
When it comes to informing the essential people, the first one should probably be your credit card issuer. Make sure to check for suspicious activity on it and block it if necessary. After that, you can proceed to double-check online accounts and emails, and you’d want to have all passwords changed as soon as possible.
Considering the different types and amounts of attacks, being prepared for a scam is essential. There are several ways to identify one, and once you do, it’s imperative to make sure you don’t share any necessary information.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
IPwithease is aimed at sharing knowledge across varied domains like Network, Security, Virtualization, Software, Wireless, etc.
