Time to say goodbye to 2021 and the scams of yesteryear.
Hopefully, you weren’t a victim this year. But from everything I’ve read this year, it’s a pretty safe bet you were a target.
Going out on a short limb here, it’s another safe bet you’ll be targeted again.
Most of us have been in scammers’ sights at some time. For instance, multiple sources shows that half of us have had our social media accounts compromised. Virtually all of us have also had personal information stolen in data breaches. The FBI reports it receives more than 800,000 internet crime reports every year, that adds up to an estimated $4 billion in losses.
More:Here’s how to tell if your phone has been hacked and what you can do about it
As the online crime rate continues to rise, you need to be on your guard 24/7. It’s only a matter of time. One thing you can count on — scammers mostly want just one thing, our money. They get it either by tricking you into giving it to them or by stealing or buying information about you to commit identity theft.
COVID hasn’t helped things either. In the past year, the ongoing pandemic has sparked lots of tricks, such as stimulus check scams and phony COVID cure or protection claims.
Other areas that have seen a scam surge during 2021 include ransomware, government impostors, cybercurrency fraud, dishonest influencers, charity collectors, and phony tech support.
So, what’s expected to happen next year? Based on current trends, reported by Scambusters and what we…
