online scams part i
Have you ever heard the expression, “If you believe that then I have a bridge to sell you”? This quote refers to an infamous conman by the name of George C. Parker. Parker on multiple occasions successfully tricked people who were otherwise very discerning and successful into thinking that they purchased the Brooklyn Bridge. Though the expression has come to imply gullibility, the story itself shows how anyone can be fooled. The question is not, “how did those people fall for it?” The question is, “How was he able to trick otherwise intelligent businessmen who were able to get today’s equivalent of $70 million dollars into buying a bridge that he didn’t own and wasn’t being sold?” Parker went to great lengths to make everything he did appear real by forging documents and official seals, he created the need for secrecy so no one would dare talk to anyone else about it, and he seemed like a friend even opening up and giving his (also fake) story of hardship to his targets. Many of these tactics are still used today online.
The internet can be thought of as a digital extension of our world. Shopping for clothes, meeting with friends, and even attending events can be done online. It is important to remember, however, that with all benefits of the internet, there are also risks to be aware of not just the good things in life can be done online. Criminals are just as likely to work online and we need to take care not to fall victim . Just like in the real world, some criminals are harder to spot than others. Here in Pennsylvania we have the dubious pleasure of being a top 10 state in the number of victims and loss in millions of dollars on the Internet Crime Complaint Center 2021 Internet Crime Report. Some of the top scams are computer tech support and other customer service scams, where an individual encounters a pop-up that their computer has been infected or receives an email saying they purchased an item they had never seen before and often gives them a link or a phone number that will help them fix it. Instead of contacting IT help, a favorite shopping website, or the bank, a victim is redirected to the phone with a scammer who lies to gain access to the user's device. A common trick locks a person out of their computer pending a ransom or uses their access to steal financial information and credentials, or tricks them into transferring thousands of dollars into a “new uncompromised account” that is then transferred into the scammers bank account. These and other Internet crimes are costing Pennsylvanians over $200 million annually.
A popup message like this might look scary but your best bet is to just close the window.
We will go in depth into explaining different online scams, what they’re after, and how you can protect yourself in the online world. We will break it down into three parts: 1) What are online scammers after? 2) What are the most common methods and scams used? 3) What are the best rules of thumb to avoid these scams?
Scam-Buster Tip of the week: Never give personal information over the phone unless you are sure who you are talking to. Likewise, don’t click strange links in emails, even if it’s sent from a trusted source. call the number or click the link in an untrusted the Finally, don’t trust links in pop up messages on your computeremail or popup. Many times criminals will make an exact copy of an email from a bank, program, or business and change the support information and links to their own so they can appear as if they work for the company. INSTEAD: go to the website how you would typically access it (by typing it in) and check to see if the email is accurate and if need be, find the support information from there.
Join us next week as we continue this series to help keep you safe online.
