Anybody can fall victim to an online scam. We all
lead busy lives and we are continually bombarded
with “approaches” from scammers – it only takes a
moment of inattention to fall into a trap, according
to www.thebalance.com.


How can you stay safe, when thieves are becoming
increasingly sophisticated and convincing? The best
thing to do is to pause before sending money and
investigate where it is really going. Knowing about
common warning signs of money scams can help
you spot trouble before it is too late.

If you see any of the red flags listed below,
proceed with extreme caution. They don’t
necessarily mean you are dealing with a scammer,
but it is worth slowing down before you part with
your money. Here are the common signs of money
scams.


Wiring money

If somebody asks you to wire money, be careful.

There is no way to reverse a wire transfer – once
the money leaves your account, it is gone, and you
can’t ask the bank to “undo” the transfer. Thieves
love wire transfers because the money is available
for withdrawal almost immediately (before
everybody figures out what they are up to).

There are a few legitimate situations where wire
transfers make sense, but they are a bad idea if
you are not sure who you are dealing with. Using
your credit card to send the wire only makes things
worse.


Unsolicited approaches for money

It is not uncommon to get an email promising vast
sums of money (or even a few bucks) for little or
no effort. Sometimes these messages look like they
were sent to you accidentally – and you have
somehow had the good luck to stumble into a
fantastic situation.

If something sounds too good to be true and it is
coming from somebody you don’t know, it is
almost certainly a scam. Why would that
imprisoned prince search you out and contact you?
If somebody has a great “business opportunity,”
why don’t they just do it themselves instead of
wasting time and money scouring the Internet for
more investors?


Selling for anything besides cash

If you are selling something that you have
advertised online, be wary of accepting anything
but cash as payment. Scammers have various ways
to cheat you out of money (when you’re supposed
to be the one collecting money).

For example, they would try the classic cashier’s
cheque scam or they would ask for your bank
account information under the pretext of sending
an electronic payment or wire transfer (then they
would use that information to get into your bank
account). If a buyer can’t show up in-person with
cash, there is probably a better buyer out there.


Handling payments for someone else

There is no legitimate reason for you to handle
payments for somebody else. If you are asked to
deposit money into your account and forward it to
somebody else, you are likely involved in a scam.

When you are looking for work and these “jobs”
come up, it is hard to pass up the opportunity, but
moving on is your best bet. At best, you are being
set up for a scam; at worst, you are involved with
something illegal (such as money laundering).



Threats and hyperbole

Scammers’ goal is to exploit your hopes and fears
until you hand over your cash. To take advantage
of your fears, they might tell you that you would go
to jail, lose your job, or somehow face humiliation
if you fail to make “required” payments (none of
which they can accomplish legally). If something
sounds all bad or all good, you’re not hearing the
truth.



Unsecured sites

Look for the lock (or “https” in the address bar)
when doing anything sensitive online. If you
provide personal or financial information to an
unsecure site, it can be stolen easily – in fact, it
probably is being stolen because you’re already at
an impostor’s site. Any reputable bank, credit union,
or online shopping site will require a secure
connection.

If your connection is not secure, you might be
caught in a so-called “man in the middle” attack, in
which your usernames and passwords are collected
for later use.



Emails that look not quite right

Sometimes you can find everything you need to
know in an email. If you notice bad spelling and
grammar, you might be dealing with an overseas
phishing scam (a type of fraud where a user’s
personal data, such as passwords and credit card
info, is stolen through an electronic communication
like email). It also helps to look closely at any links
(when you hover your mouse over them before
clicking). Do they go where you think they should
go?


How to handle online scams

If you see any of the warning signs above – but
you still want to move forward – how can you do
so safely? Get more information. Research the
person or business in question until you are 100 per
cent certain that you’re not getting ripped off. Just
remember that scammers can be very convincing
and very patient – they would talk with you for
hours (over many weeks or months) to make you
feel comfortable.

Talk about the situation with a friend or relative,
and look for similar stories online – you might be
surprised at what you find. Check message boards
in your community if it seems like a local thing, but
keep in mind that many internet money scams are
tried-and-true hustles, sometimes conducted from
far away (so you’re likely to find good information
with a general internet search).


https://punchng.com/warning-signs-of-money-scams-you-should-know/

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