Online Scams to Watch Out For in 2015
Money scams milk innocent victims out of millions of dollars every year. We all know that they exist, and yet so many people still end up losing money. And the funny thing about it is that most of these scams aren’t anything new. In fact, many of them have been around for years. So, what are the most common money scams?
Dating Scams
Everyone is looking for their Mr. or Ms. Right, and online dating is becoming more and more popular as the years go by. So it should come as no surprise that online dating scams robbed victims of almost $50 million last year alone.
Phony Debt Collector Scams
Posing as legitimate companies or businesses looking to recoup debts you owe them, these scams have made $5 million in the past two years.
Online Marketplace Scams
eBay. Craigslist. Kijiji. No matter what you’re looking for, odds are that they’ve got it. But what you’re probably not looking for is to be scammed by users on one of these sites. Many users believe they are buying expensive goods, but after paying, the items never come. In fact, last year scammers in Romania alone bilked American users out of $100 million.
Charity Scams
We all want to give to those in need when we can afford to do so, but unfortunately there are many scammers who play off the desire to do good. Most recently, a group entitled Disabled Veterans National Foundation collected millions of dollars to aid disabled veterans, but pocketed the cash.
Social Media Related Scams
We all love to share things that are going on in our lives on social media, but be careful what you choose to share with the world. Recently, there has been a rise in scams based around social media. Scammers will scour social media pages for mentions of things like travel, and then go after family members, claiming to be the travellers. These scammers may claim to be you saying you lost your passport, or your wallet was stolen, and look for money from your family. While still a relatively new phenomena, expect to see the prevalence of these scams continue to grow.
So what can you do to protect yourself? The biggest thing is to use common sense. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Be smart when it comes to your online presence, and if you’re ever unsure, put the credit card back in your wallet.
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