Semalt Expert Assures That You Need To Learn About Online Frauds And Scams – Here's Why

Online fraud is often referred to as "internet fraud" or "scam". This type of fraud appears in multiple forms, such as email spam. The penalty for using or making counterfeit postal money orders is ten to twenty years in jail in the United States. The scammers often pretend to be the representatives of charitable organizations and seek your help for the victims of natural disasters, terrorist attacks, regional conflicts or epidemics. If you are the victim of an online scam, it is important that you submit the report to the Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network (ACORN) as early as possible. Reports made to this network are forwards to police or intelligence agencies for possible investigation.

Jason Adler, the Customer Success Manager of Semalt, focuses on the types of online frauds with the aim to help you protect yourself from the attacks.

The most common types of online frauds are Internet banking fraud, scams, identity theft, and shopping and auction site fraud.

Internet banking frauds

It is defined as the use of potentially illegal means to obtain assets, personal information, property or money by a private institution or hacker. The most common types of internet banking fraud are mule recruitment and phishing. Hackers often use your sensitive information like password or username to access your details. They may obtain such information from your tablets, mobile devices or laptops by sending malware and viruses.

These days, a lot of people use their mobiles and smartphones to access their bank accounts. Criminals know that it may be difficult for them to access your information. So, they send fake emails or ask you to click on specific links, revealing confidential information. You should not respond to unknown emails. It is also important that you don't click on unknown links and ignore people who keep on sending you attachments.

Phishing, on the other hand, is an attempt to obtain sensitive information such as username, password, PayPal ID and credit card details, by disguising as trustworthy entities in an electronic communication.

Specialized spam filters help reduce the number of phishing emails that reach your inboxes. You can also install antivirus or anti-malware software to keep your information saved. The AFP suggests that you do not reply to spam emails and delete them as early as possible. If there are any attachments, you should never open those attachments as they may contain unwanted programs or viruses.

Shopping and auction site fraud

Hackers often use the latest technology to set up fake retailer websites that look like famous online retail stores. They use sophisticated layouts and designs to attract more and more people. It is important that you do not insert your personal information, credit card details or PayPal ID to such websites. All online auction sites have strict rules and regulations. Scammers cannot attack you through these websites, and they know how to deal with people outside the auction sites. You may consult with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to minimize the risks of online frauds. When you are using auction websites like eBay, they will not ask you anything about your credit card or PayPal.

General advice
If you have been receiving suspicious emails, the best and easiest way is to delete them as early as possible. It is also important that you do not click on the attachments sent through those emails.