ScamAvoid.com

Read time: 1 minute 45 seconds You get an unsolicited call from a man named Michael claiming to represent Microsoft. He says your computer has been hacked and if you don't act fast your bank account will be hacked too. He asks for your email and password , and after you give it to him, you find that you can no longer access your account and all your personal information - including your bank details and email address - have been compromised . Michael from tech support is a classic scam! Always remember the three early warning signs of a scam : 1. You're in dialogue ... 2. ... which you did not start ... 3. ... and the topic turns to money (or anything valuable) … It's a scam! Let's take a closer look: 1. You're in a dialogue ... Scammers know you're not going to give up your personal information to a random person, they pretend to be someone trustworthy. 2. ... which you did not start ... The scammer starts the dialogue via phone call, pop-up window...

Read time: 1 minute 30 seconds Scammers pressure you to act urgently. They want you to make a hasty decision without thinking it over or discussing it with others. Pressure comes in two main flavors: You will score a GAIN You will avoid a LOSS Examples of pressure to trick you into believing you'll score a GAIN: Promises of a safe investment, high profits, easy quick payback, valuable prizes. Expensive merchandise at a bargain price. Glowing (but fake ) reviews and testimonials . Limited opportunity, offer expires soon. Reassurance that you're making a smart decision Examples of pressure to make you think you're avoiding a LOSS: You'll lose all your money unless you move it elsewhere . You will be arrested and jailed. It's an emergency . You're talking with an authority figure (e.g. bank officer, attorney, government official, supervisor) ... which plays on our natural tendency to obey authority. You're talking with a romantic interest or close rela...

Read time: 2 minutes 15 seconds One day you get an email or message or pop-up ad , inviting you to a once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunity: " invest today, guaranteed to triple your money . Hurry! Offer expires in 24 hours! " Investment scams are the biggest category by amount. I n the US and UK alone, over $5.3 billion was scammed from victims last year. Let's understand the difference between an investment scam and a bad investment. Any investment can lose money . But in an investment scam , your money is never invested at all. The scammer simply steals your money . We could study hundreds of different investment scams and learn specifically how to avoid each one. Yet it's far easier to simply remember the three early warning signs of a scam : 1. You're in dialogue ... 2. ... which you did not start ... 3. ... and the topic turns to money (or anything valuable) … It's a scam! Let's take a closer look at investment scams . 1. You're in ...

  Read time: 2 minutes and 35 seconds Imposter scams are the most common type. You would not give your money or login credentials to a scammer , thus the scammer pretends to be someone you can trust. For example: - Your bank - A business - A charity - A friend or relative on social media - A government agency - A tech support agent - A celebrity We could study hundreds of different imposter scams and learn specifically how to avoid each one. Yet it's far easier to simply remember the three early warning signs of a scam : 1. You're in dialog ... 2. ... which you did not start ... 3. ... and the topic turns to money (or anything valuable) … It's a scam! Let's take a deeper look at imposter scams . 1. You're in a dialog ... A dialog can be email, phone, text, chat, popup window, message, face-to-face conversation, or ANY interaction . A scammer doesn't want you to know they are a scammer . Scammers are experts at pretending to be someone they're not . ...

Read time: 2 minutes What's a 2FA (Two Factor Authentication) code ? You're logging in to your account . The program sends you a 2FA code to prove it's really you. You enter the 2FA code to finish your login . (This is the only proper use of a 2FA code : to finish a login YOU started. ) Scammers want to trick you into revealing your 2FA code . Scammer goes to a website, such as a bank , and pretends to be you. Scammer either knows or guesses your username / email . Scammer might know your password ( from phishing ), or simply click the "forgot password " link on login page. Now the scammer's screen says "enter the 2FA code we just sent you". If the scammer can trick you into revealing your 2FA code , the scammer is in and you're out of your own account! Here's how a scammer steals your 2FA code : You get an urgent call or message . " This is your bank . We found suspicious activity in your account . Contact us immediately...