This is a time of year where scammers are especially active. When there is a lot of products and a limited number of them, consumers might not look too closely at whether the website is the real deal or not.
The scammers use a fake website to fool someone into giving them access to their credit card information. They then use this information to create a fake account and sell the victim products or services.
To help you stay safe this holiday season, here are some tips on how to identify and avoid scams and phishing attempts. By being aware of the warning signs, you can protect yourself from becoming a victim. ..
Check The URL & Sender
There are a few things you need to do in order to create a website that looks just like a real one. First, make sure your website’s domain is registered with a reputable hosting company. This will ensure that your website appears on search engines and that potential customers can find you easily. Next, make sure your website’s design is professional and consistent. You don’t want your website to look like it was created by someone who only cares about making money. Make sure all of your pages are well-organized and have clear titles and descriptions. Finally, be sure to add some basic security measures into place on your website. For example, add in two-factor authentication or use secure coding techniques such as HTTPS. These measures will help protect your site from unauthorized access and possible theft.
First, never trust an email that looks too good to be true. There’s always a catch. Second, always be skeptical of any email that asks for personal information or money. ..
https://www.google.com/search?q=%E3%83%B3+Bitcoin&btnI The first thing you’ll notice is that the URL has been changed. It now says “https://www.google.com/search?q=%E3%83%B3+Bitcoin&btnI". This is because Google changed the URL to make it more user-friendly.
If you’re ever asked to input your personal information into a web page, be suspicious and don’t enter anything into the form until you’ve checked the URL. Many phishing attempts use this as a way to steal your user IDs and passwords for retail sites, banks, and more. ..
This domain name is fake and has a valid domain name attached.
The first thing to remember is that any site (that you should use, anyway) will log you in through a secure protocol. Look at your URL bar. See the “HTTP” at the very start of the URL? That’s an acronym for hypertext transfer protocol. When you log into a website, make sure it says HTTPS. The added letter stands for secure. This means data sent through the website is encrypted using strong cryptography. ..
If you receive an email from a website or bank asking for your username and password, it’s most likely a scam. Do not give out your information, even if the email seems legitimate. Contact the organization directly and ask before you submit.
If you receive an email that looks like it came from a company like customer support, be sure to check the sender. Often, it will have a name or might say something like Customer Support. However, if you look for the actual email address, it can often be something like xsdflkjsf@fakemailprovider.com—clearly a fake account.
Search The Text
The most common types of phishing emails are variants of each other. To check whether something is legitimate, search the sender and a few sentences. Just copy and paste the text into Google with the word “scam” and see what results it returns. The chances that you’re the only one to be targeted by a scam are minimal; most of these attempts originate out of farms and are sent to thousands of users at once.
If you receive an email from an institution asking you to log in or enter billing details, be sure to do so. Many institutions will not require these details in email, but may ask you to check your account.
Channel Your Inner English Teacher & Look For Spelling & Grammar Mistakes
Many fake websites and scam emails share this trait in common: their spelling and grammar are atrocious. ..
A website’s goal is to provide a clear and concise message to its readers. In order to do this, proper spelling and grammar are essential. Websites go to great lengths to ensure that readers can understand their message. If you’re not careful, your website can come across as unprofessional or even sloppy. To ensure that your message is received well by your readers, make sure to use proper spelling and grammar.
Some blogs may use affiliate links which will earn them a commission if you buy the product at no extra cost to you. Amateur sites might not always have the best spelling or grammar, but as long as they are not asking you to enter credit card or other personal info, they should be safe. ..
Look For Too-Good-To-Be-True Deals
Online retailers exist to make money. If the deals seem too good to be true, they probably are. That means the deal is likely fake. Sometimes you might still receive a product, just something lower-quality than you thought. The website Wish is a great example of this. ..
Wish products are often counterfeit or significantly lower in quality. The website is not a scam or a phishing attempt, but it isn’t entirely honest.
Don’t shop on websites that you haven’t heard of before. These sites are usually unsafe and offer fake products.
Cybercrime is on the rise, and businesses are struggling to keep up. In 2018, the FBI reported that businesses lost $12.5 billion to scams online. However, many people are not aware of the dangers that come with being a victim of a scam. Cybercrime has steadily increased year after year, and it’s hard to keep track of every new scam. Between 2013 and 2018, the FBI reports that businesses lost $12.5 billion to scams online. Almost 91% of all phishing attempts start with an email; unfortunately, many people receive notifications of sales through their email.
When it comes to scams, be vigilant and trust your gut. Once you know what to look for, the majority of schemes are easy to identify. ..
