Essential Guidelines to Safeguard Yourself from Scams While Online
Today, the threat of online scams has forced Indian citizens to be on their toes to avoid falling victim to the online scams plaguing the digital landscape – be it phishing scams, online job scams or identity theft. Every day, scammers find new ways to trick unsuspecting victims and ultimately steal their hard-earned money.
Here we understand how to prevent online fraud, learn how to identify fake websites and more.
Ways to protect yourself from online scams, fake websites and emails:
Look for poorly written descriptions
Did you receive an email about a part-time job offer, but the text is poorly written? Well, that could be a sign that it’s fake – part of an attempt to trick you. Look for grammar, spelling and punctuation errors in the body of the email. If you find several errors or if the email or website looks unprofessional, the chances that it is fake are quite high. Also pay attention to where the email is coming from. If it’s fake, it’s highly likely that the domain name and the entity they claim to be don’t match.
Beware of fraudsters posing as bank agents, income tax officials or the police
Impersonation is another successful tactic scammers use along with fear to trick people. Scammers can pose as bank agents or the police and accuse you of a crime you didn’t commit. In the storm, victims, often in fear, disclose sensitive information such as OTPs or fund transfers.
Do not post personal information online
If you tend to share personal information such as addresses and Aadhaar numbers, be prepared for potential pitfalls. When you unknowingly post a sensitive document like your Aadhaar card online or share it with someone you don’t know, they can use your identity to commit fraud. This can cause you significant problems. This is exactly how the army officer scam works – fraudsters obtain real ID cards from the armed forces and then use them to defraud victims.
Always change passwords and enable two-factor authentication
It goes without saying that a strong password is the first step towards securing your online account. And when you double your security by adding two-factor authentication, you give yourself a chance against fraudsters.
Avoid clicking on foreign links (often from offers that are too good to be true)
This is also another common tactic scammers use to lure victims. Ideally, they’ll entice you with offers that seem too good to be true—perhaps even giveaways or freebies. It is important to understand that you should never click on links that suggest such offers.
Similar links can also be found in social media direct messages. Watch out for these as you could be moments away from losing your account and ultimately your money.
