How Do I Get Rid Of A Scammer?

At Anti-fraud News, we often say that prevention is better than cure when it comes to falling into the trap of a scammer. However, it can happen before we realize, and then it is sometimes too late.

Thankfully, we’re covering our top 7 tips to both avoid and get rid of a scammer situation. Knowledge and awareness are your best weapon against a criminal, so be sure to send this information on to your friends, family, and colleagues. It might not be possible to find every scammer who exists, but we can change the game for someone by sharing sound information.

If you have been scammed before, it’s important to share your story and make sure you have reported the scammer to the right authorities. The more we expose these types of crimes, the easier and safer it will be for us all.

Take a look at our top 7 tips to avoid and get rid of unwanted scammers.

1. Knowledge And Awareness Is Power

In karate, your best defense is to be aware of your opponent or a potential threat. It works the same way when it comes to internet fraud. Knowledge is power when it comes to preventing and climbing out of a tricky scammer situation. Often banks and other service providers will give the public access to some of the latest scams. Read the news, follow anti-fraud blogs, and government information releases to be a step ahead of the latest scams.

2. Follow Internet Search Best Practices

There may not be an official universal guide to best internet practices, but there is a lot of very useful information out there. Keep researching, reading, and follow our blog to stay up to date.

There are some general things you can implement to ensure safe browsing. You might want to make sure you’ve installed a trusted firewall software to your computer to take that extra precaution when using the internet.

3. Privacy Is Key: Protect Your Personal Details

The number one rule of thumb when it comes to preventing being scammed is to keep your personal information as private as possible. Don’t share your passwords, banking pins and login details, social security numbers or any other forms of information about you that could tempt someone into identity theft. Safeguard your information and make sure the person you are communicating with online is legit.

4. Understand The Scammer Tactics

Fraudsters often use the same tactics over and over again. Unfortunately, they can be incredibly sneaky at the best of times. Some of the main tactics we recommend you watch out for are as follows:

• High pressure when you inquire about a product or service
• Emotional appeals and guilt tripping
• Asking for your personal details or for money directly
• Offers that seem too good to be true: job offers, or winning an elaborate competition that you didn’t enter

These are just a few tactics, and they are evolving each day — especially as technology advances.

5. Ask Questions And Be Intentional

When it comes to purchasing something online or even donating to a charity you found through your browser, make sure you are intentional with connecting on the phone or in person before you donate or give any money away. If you receive a suspicious call from someone you don’t know, be sure to ask a lot of questions to understand whether the person is lying.

6. Cut Off Unnecessary Communications

There are some communications that are just not necessary. For example, if you can somehow cut communications with over-the-top competitions, you might be doing yourself a huge favor. Install spam filters on your phone and on your email to prevent unsafe content from reaching your inbox.

7. Report Crime When You Or Others Are Exposed To It

If you are exposed to a cyber-crime, or you know of someone who has been scammed, it’s important that you make sure the crime is reported to the authorities to investigate. You could save someone else from encountering a fraudster!

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AntifraudNews.com is the premier anti-internet scam and anti-fraud information blog to follow. We regularly post news and useful information that you need to start alert and ahead of the internet fraud game. Be sure to check out our blog regularly for the latest in fraud news and be equipped with the knowledge you need to stay safe online. Read our blog today and follow us on social media for more.