We live in a digital world, and unfortunately, while this means that everyone can be interconnected all the time, this also means that fraudsters have a lot more opportunities to get you.
Of course, frauds have evolved and the usual email from the Nigerian prince, which is one of the longest-running email scams, may seem old-fashioned nowadays. Nevertheless, despite being old and well-known, the scam still manages to rake in over $700,000 a year. The bottom line: you can never be too cautious when it comes to fraudsters.
Thankfully, many businesses are going above and beyond to protect individuals from frauds, ranging from your bank raising an alert when they spot suspicious activities to Google deleting inactive accounts to prevent them from being used for identity theft.
Nevertheless, even though there are many more protection systems in place, people still fall for scams. While frauds may get more and more sophisticated, old tricks still work wonders. Scammers create an emergency situation in which people become too anxious to think clearly. It is always worth taking the time to double-check everything. Here’s what you want to check:
The correct format for administrative ID codes
One of the first lines of defense against spams is the ability to discern authentic administrative ID numbers from fake ones. Fraudsters frequently attempt to manipulate unsuspecting individuals by posing as legitimate entities. In order to make their lies more believable, they provide data that looks also correct but that is fake. This could be sensitive information such as social security numbers, passport numbers, and other administrative IDs. In order to thwart their efforts, it is essential to familiarize yourself with the standardized structure of these numbers, so you can recognize the right format. This includes knowing the specific arrangement of digits and hyphens, or digits and letters, depending on the type of admin identifications.
Check the link
Phishing attacks are a common form of spam which typically involves deceptive links that lead to fraudulent websites. How can you tell whether this is a spammy link or not as they are designed to look like the real deal?
While these links may initially appear authentic, upon closer examination they reveal inconsistencies and irregularities. So, if you are on a laptop or computer, take the time to hover the cursor without clicking to reveal the actual URL. This simple tip can help y ou gauge the legitimacy of a website.
Besides, scrutinize the URL for misspelling, unusual characters, or domain variations that might indicate spammy content.
Double-check with the company
If you’ve received an emergency message from your bank, call your bank directly. Do not dial the number shared in the message, but instead look up the number online and call.
Always take the time to research and double check everything. This means contacting the company or the authority that supposedly sent the message. Similarly, if you receive a message from a family member or a friend asking for money, get in touch with them to check whether this is correct.
Fraud criminals create a sense of emergency so you are too panicked to notice anomalies. The truth is that you always have the time to double check everything. It only takes a few minutes, and it can save you a lot of hassles!