Smartphones, laptops, and desktop computers are great innovations that help make our lives easier and help us stay informed. We use these devices and the internet to do so many things nowadays, however, we need to be careful as online scams run rampant in today’s world and can fool even the most intelligent of Internet surfers.
Believe it or not, there are even scammers out there who will try and sell you health insurance or get you to contribute to a charity that does not exist. Packing tracking scams send texts or emails saying that they’ll track your package and may ask for your personal information. The USPS will never send you such a text without your request, so don’t click on any that you receive.
What Are Some Common Scams to Avoid?
The number of scams that exist is only limited by the creativity of today’s scammers. Some of the most common ones include:
Health insurance scams
Health insurance scams are often seen during insurance enrollment periods. You may get calls from scammers posing as health insurance companies that ask you for personal information like your social security number or credit card number. A real insurance company will never ask you for information like this over the phone.
Identity theft scams
They often come in the form of a phishing attempt in which a scammer sends you a link to a fraudulent website, like a bank or corporation. These fraudulent websites can look very real, and once you reach the site, you will be asked to enter personal information.
Cryptocurrency scams
Cryptocurrency scammers may ask you to give them digital coins in exchange for some type of investment plan. Don’t fall for it.
How to Report Smishing Scams
Smishing scams include package tracking scams in which you get an unsolicited text with a fraudulent link that claims you have a USPS delivery coming. The text will ask for your response in order to get the delivery. The text is a scam to get your personal information, so do not click on it.
You can report these smishing scams by sending an email to spam@uspis.gov. In this email, include the body of the fraudulent message and a screenshot of it with the date and the sender’s phone number. Do inform the post office if you did lose money from the scam or if you gave the scammer any of your personal information.
Get Scam Wise With Anti Fraud News
In today’s complex and rapidly changing world, everyone needs to be aware that there are scammers out there just waiting to steal whatever they can from unsuspecting Internet users.
You can become scam-wise and stay ahead of the fraudsters with Anti Fraud News. We’re a premier anti-fraud information blog that is designed to keep Internet users safe from scammers and similar con artists.