Types of Online Fraud and Scams .:. Title

Types of Online Fraud and Scams

There are different types of online fraud and scams. It is best to know about them so that you don't become another countless victim.

The first is the Phishing scam. Here, a scam artist will pretend to be the financial institution that you have business with and tell you there is a problem. To correct this, you have to fill out certain information in the form that is attached to the email.

There is also the Nigerian Email Scam where just like the Phishing scam, you are sent a message saying that somebody there has millions of dollars and needs help getting it out of the country. In exchange for your help, you are promised to get a certain percentage of the wealth.

Another example is when you decide to put a certain item up for sale through a website like Craigslist.org. The scam artist tells you they are interested in the item and are willing to pay for this using PayPal or Western Union but first, you have to send this item to Nigeria.

The same thing can happen to you when you look at an auction site and find something interesting. When you win the bid, naturally you have to pay for it but when you send the money, the merchandise is never shipped out to you. Just to let you know, the FTC has reported 51,000 auction complaints in 2002.

Some scam artists pretend that they are in business of preventing credit repair scams or protect you from identity theft when fact they are the ones who are doing the crime. They will send you an email and promise to help once you give them certain information.

You may also get an email stating that you won an online lottery worth millions of dollars. In order for you to claim it, you have to give some personal data.

There are other kinds of fraud and scams out there aside from those mentioned. Remember the line if it is too good to be true it probably isn't? Well this is what is happening here. When you get an email, it is best call your financial institution or check with the Better Business Bureau. If you want to buy something online, make sure the seller has an address and a contact number so if there are any problems, the item can be returned.