In today’s technologically forward world, online scams have become both common and effective. The Internet Crimes Complaint Center (IC3) states that there were $6.9 billion in reported losses for 2021 alone. Keep in mind that these are only the figures which people reported. Clearly then, continued education is vital surrounding these hovering threats. This article will dissect some various scams that cybercriminals use, dive into their tactics and techniques, and teach you how to protect against them.
Common Types of Scams
There are several common types of scams. Let’s look at five.
Gift Cards, Freebies, and Other Financial Offer Scams
Money-related scams appeal to a vast majority of people because they lean on an individual’s need to provide. These scams could be presented in many ways, from tax refund scams to “you’ve won” scams.
Romance Scams
Romance scams consist of scammers creating fake online profiles and leveraging these across social media and dating sites. A lot of time is invested into building rapport and trust with their target, then requesting various favors or money. Friendship scams work similarly.
Fear-Based Scams
Fear-based scams exploit common fears to push their target into a quick action. Some fear-based messaging may be something along the lines of “your account will be terminated unless action is taken”, or “this video of you will be sent to your friends and family unless you take this action”.
Tech Support Scams
Scammers…
