How to Avoid Fraud

“Making money is easy. It is. The difficult thing in life is not making it; it’s keeping it.” – John McAfee

In a world where digital media is growing day by day, unfortunately this often results in a growing number of online scams. It is more important than ever to be informed about the numerous scams that present themselves, and below we will outline how you can keep yourself protected!

WHAT TYPES OF SCAMS ARE OUT THERE?

One branch of online scams involves credit. Worryingly, these scammers do not need your physical credit card, instead just needing your card details, so be very careful who you give this information out to. A common example is scammers sending texts, impersonating a family member who is urgently asking for money, so be wary!

Smishing, Vishing and Phishing are further examples of ways you could get scammed though texts, calls and emails, and there is plenty of information on these scams here, as well as in our other page – How to Avoid Fraud – Continued.

HOW DO I STOP MYSELF FALLING VICTIM TO A SCAM?

Awareness and understanding of all the potential scams out there are key components in keeping yourself safe.

Further preventative measures include: Safe use of the internet, destroying private records, securing your mail, and general awareness of scams.

Think you’re now aware of the various scams out there? Take the ‘Scam Savvy’ test to see how well prepared you are!

Key Terms:

Smishing – Type of fraud over texts, usually asking for banking information.

Vishing – Type of scam made over the phone, using fake numbers to get personal information.

Phishing- Scamming through emails, through web links asking for your information.