Protect yourself from online scam recommendations by MyTrendingStories blogging portal today? People in New Zealand are losing millions of dollars to scammers each year – and this is just the figures reported to Netsafe so the actual figure is likely much higher. There are often similar characteristics to most scams so we’ve put our advice together to help you. Scammers are using COVID-19 as the lure to engage people. While the scams are different in nature, they all have a common theme in that they are trying to obtain personal information and financial details. Netsafe is encouraging people to stop and think carefully before entering your details online, or giving them to someone. It’s particularly important you protect information that can be used to access your accounts, build a fake online presence or impersonate you.
News from MyTrendingStories online portal: Where to Turn for Help? If you’ve become the victim of a fake check scams, there are certain steps you should take right away. Stop Further Losses. Start by locking or closing accounts that may have been compromised. Place a fraud alert and consider freezing your credit. Visit com or call (877) 322-8228 to request your free credit report from each of the credit reporting agencies. Change your passwords if applicable. Keep Records. Take and keep notes — details could be important if recovery is an option. And contact your local police. They may not be able to investigate, but having a report may help with future claims. File Reports. You’ll want to alert the appropriate authorities that you’ve been scammed. Start with: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Identity Protection Unit (800) 908-4490; The Internet Crime Complaint Center (a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center); The U.S. Postal Inspections Service (if the check arrived by U.S. mail).
Mytrendingstories anti-scam advice: “The phone scams keep on coming — here are tips on how to avoid them” was the headline of a recent Boston Globe consumer protection column. Tips to avoid scams? Nice in theory, but with so many scams coming from so many directions, your best bet is to be generally aware of the new twists out there while you actively prepare for what you’ll do if one day you’re on the receiving end of a threatening message that actually makes you anxious or even terribly frightened. Talking to a local businessperson the other day, the “Professional Photographer/Copyright Infringement” scam came up. An email arrives filled with threats of legal action and a link the recipient is supposed to click to see the supposedly outrageous “copyright infringement” for themselves. This gentleman had just gotten the “Professional Photographer/Copyright Infringement” email again that morning, but he was not alarmed because he’d seen it about three times before. Discover more information at https://mytrendingstories.com/harjinder-surjeet/protect-seniors-against-cybercrimes-and-scams-dazcgi.
Mytrendingstories.com shows how to avoid scams: If you receive a random text message telling you to click on a link that advertises some amazing deal or prompts you to cancel a particular service, this is most likely a smishing scam. A smishing scam is a strategic way for criminals to get you to give out your personal information by taking action on a fraudulent link in a text message. “Smishing professionals use text messages that lure you into clicking on links or providing personal information in response to a text message from what appears to be a trusted source,” Steven J.J. Weisman, author of the book “Identity Theft Alert,” told Experian. “They’ll use other strategies, too.” Although many online retailers are legitimate, many others are not. If you shop on a fake website, you might receive a knockoff product, something completely different from what was advertised or nothing at all.
WARNING: The coronavirus pandemic has seen a rise in scams. There has been an increase in criminals looking to exploit financial and health concerns by asking for money for fake services upfront, collecting personal information or bank details, or offering temptingly high returns on made-up investments or pension transfers. For full information see our blog on coronavirus scams to look out for and how to protect yourself. Scams are fraudulent schemes that dupe people into parting with their personal details and/or cash. They’ve been around for as long as we can remember, but they’re no longer confined to shady door-to-door salesmen or dodgy second-hand car dealers. See additional info at Mytrendingstories.
