Scam Sites to Avoid

If you’re looking to do business with a new company, it’s important to know what to look for. Scam sites can swindle you out of your money and put your personal information at risk.

Scams often take the form of phishing or scareware websites. These can lead to malware downloads that can harm your device or personal information.
1. Scams that ask for personal information

Scammers use a variety of tactics to get you to give them your personal information. They may send you emails, pop-ups, or text messages that look like they come from a bank, a government agency, an online seller, or another organization you do business with. They may also use robocalls or voicemail to sound like a real person.

If you’re a recipient of one of these scams, report it to the FTC. Providing this information can help the FTC and local law enforcement fight these crimes.

A common way scammers trick people into sharing their personal information is by creating websites that look exactly like those of reputable companies. These sites often ask for your credit card or other financial information and then try to sell you something. These are called “phishing” scams and should be avoided at all costs.

You can avoid being a victim of a scam by following basic safety strategies and reviewing the latest scam alerts from the FTC. These include using password protection, keeping your computer and mobile devices secure, updating security software, and not giving out personal details or account details to anyone you don’t know and trust.

Scammers may also try to collect personal information by creating fraudulent websites, apps, or QR codes. These websites are designed to look like genuine websites or app stores and may ask you to enter your credit card number, SSN, and other personal information.

While fake package delivery and flight-booking websites are fairly common, some fraudsters also create fraudulent vaccine trial websites that ask for your credit card information to participate. This is an especially dangerous type of scam since you can’t cancel a payment after you’ve entered your credit card details.

Authentic vaccination trials often offer payouts or other incentives for participation. These rewards are usually in the form of gift cards or a cash bonus. Authentic trials never require you to share your personal information in order to receive your prize.

Some scammers exploit sad stories like being diagnosed with a life-threatening disease or recovering from a car accident by sending or posting on social media asking for money. They may also ask for payments via wire transfer, money order, cryptocurrency or gift cards, which can be more difficult to track and cancel than other methods of payment.
2. Scams that offer a free trial

Free trials are a great way to try out new products or services. But they can also become scams if you don’t know how to spot them.

A new report from the Better Business Bureau says these offers have cost millions of people money 먹튀폴리스 and can be a real headache. The scams lure consumers with celebrity endorsements and low shipping fees for a trial of beauty and health products that don’t deliver on their promises. Instead, they’re “subscription traps” that charge consumers monthly for ongoing deliveries of questionable products without any disclosure or warning.

To avoid these types of scams, the FTC recommends looking up the company’s name and reputation online to see if there are any complaints. If there are, you may want to avoid the company altogether.

Another tip is to look for terms and conditions and privacy statements. These should be a part of the agreement before you agree to a free trial offer, and should be in a place where it’s easy for customers to find them. If they’re hard to find, or if the terms and conditions are unclear, it’s likely a scam.

Lastly, beware of sites that have timers or countdowns that reset as soon as you sign up. These are often a tactic to get you to register quickly.

Be aware of any websites that make you jump through hoops to cancel your trial, such as requiring written authorization or asking for a credit card number. This is a common tactic used to steal credit card information and can be a very difficult thing to do.

The BBB reports that these scams have gotten worse in recent years. The agency found that in 2019, victims reported more than 58,000 complaints to its website and to law enforcement.

Scammers have even begun to use social media and texting to spread their offers. For example, a recent Buzzfeed investigation revealed that fraudsters have rented out personal Facebook accounts to spread their free trial offers on the social media site.

The FTC has launched a campaign to warn consumers about these fake free trials. The agency has recorded almost $1.4 billion in consumer losses from these schemes since the 2000s, and it’s working to shut them down.
3. Scams that ask for credit card information

Credit card scams are a common form of fraud, but they can also be very dangerous. They can lead to your personal information being stolen, or your bank account being emptied. Here are a few ways you can avoid these scams.

Scammers are constantly coming up with new methods to take your money and identity, so it’s essential that you know how to protect yourself against them. Scams can wreck your finances, your credit scores, and even your emotions.

Phishing scams are one of the most common kinds of credit card scams, and they can be very effective at getting your personal information. These scams often start with a phone call, email or text message that appears to be from a reputable company or institution.

Once the scammer has your personal information, they can sell it and use it to make unauthorized purchases or even steal your identity. To avoid this kind of scam, always check the website address carefully, type it manually into your browser, and store the site in your bookmarks.

You can also avoid these types of scams by using a VPN or virtual private network whenever you’re on public Wi-Fi networks. This will create a secure connection that won’t allow anyone to access your personal information.

Another type of credit card scam involves installing card skimmers on or near payment terminals at places where you might shop, like stores, ATMs or gas pumps. These devices can record your card’s information without you ever noticing it.

This is a common form of credit card fraud that’s been around for years. It has gotten more difficult to detect since the introduction of EMV cards (a new form of credit card security), but you can still protect yourself by using antivirus software and a VPN when shopping online.

The scammer will usually ask for your login credentials to a credit card account, or they’ll claim you’ve overpaid for a product or service and need to get refunded. In order to process the refund, the scammer will need your credit card number and other sensitive information.
4. Scams that claim to be government agencies

Scam artists often use fake government agency names, addresses and website URLs to steal money from unsuspecting consumers. These sites look like official government websites and are designed to entice you into providing sensitive personal information, including Social Security numbers.

Some of these impostor sites may also try to convince you to pay for services or a product you don’t need. Scammers may send a letter, call, or email to you claiming to be from a federal, state, or local government agency, such as the Social Security Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The caller may ask you to wire money, send cash, or use gift cards or cryptocurrencies to pay for services or products. These scams are difficult to track, and you may not receive the services or products you’re promised.

Besides asking for money or financial information, these impostor sites can also request personal documents, such as birth certificates and passports, to be mailed to them. Providing these documents to these scams can expose you to identity theft, as well as fraud and other crimes.

Another type of imposter scam involves a phone call or email claiming to be from your local sheriff’s office or court. The caller says there’s a warrant for your arrest and you need to pay now or face jail time. If you’re concerned about this, hang up and call the sheriff’s or court office directly to find out the truth.

Other types of scams can include phony government grant applications, where the con artist claims you’ve been selected for a grant and asks you to pay for application fees. They also try to get you to deposit stimulus payments using a spoofed website or smartphone app, where they request your banking information and debit your bank account.

These scams are difficult to stop, but there are steps you can take to protect yourself from them. Start by doing online searches for the company or product name, then look for reviews and complaints from others.

You can also report these scams to the FTC and your local law enforcement. You can do this by visiting the FTC’s Scams page or filing a complaint with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).