What are online scams?
Online scams are fraudulent or deceitful acts that take place over the internet. These scams typically include the exploitation of others for some form of monetary gain but may also involve a scammer trying to obtain an individual’s personal information. This includes ID numbers, account login details, addresses, dates of birth, email addresses, phone numbers and passwords.
As indicated in our Community Guidelines, we do not allow attempts to defraud or scam members of our community. Users with repeated violations may have their accounts banned.
Be aware of online scams
As technology advances, so do scam tactics. Being able to identify online scams is imperative in order to protect yourself from financial loss and potential harm. When in doubt about whether something is legitimate or not, always check with an original, official and verified source (e.g. go to the official website through a search engine instead of clicking on an unknown and potentially suspicious link).
Some of the most common forms of scam include:
- Unrealistic return scams
- Free money scams provide users with cash returns, counterfeit notes, digital currency, gaming currency, cryptocurrency, etc., usually in an attempt to scam the user via an “administrative fee” or steal their personal information. These scams can include the use of synthetic or manipulated media to create fake celebrity endorsements of digital currency or cryptocurrency giveaways.
- Free goods and services scams promise users returns of free goods and/or services, including coupons, store credit, gift cards, phones, video streaming services, forged documents, stolen or fake financial information, etc., usually in an attempt to scam the user with an “administrative fee” or steal their personal information.
- Mobile game scams offer in-game items at no cost or at cheaper rates. This is most often followed by instructions to visit a website or click on a link. This potentially exposes users to account loss, gaming currency loss or financial loss.
- Ponzi or pyramid schemes
- A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investing scam promising high rates of return with little risk. It generates returns for earlier investors with money taken from later investors.
- A pyramid scheme is an investment scam based on a hierarchical setup of network marketing that uses an unsustainable or fraudulent business model.
- Phishing scams deceive users into volunteering personal information unwittingly. These scams are often carried out through fraudulent websites, emails or texts appearing to represent a legitimate firm.
- Individuals perpetuate loan scams and scams to enrol users in debt repayment schemes by claiming to be licensed moneylenders and convince victims to pay a “deposit” for loan disbursement. Upon transfer of the deposit, these scammers become uncontactable. They may also ask for personal information to blackmail victims later for more payments.
How to get support for online scams
If you or someone you know needs more information on how to identify online scams, search through our resources below to find local organisations in your country that you can contact for more information about staying safe online.
Disclaimer
The content provided on this page is for information purposes and educational use only.