Top 5 Online Scams Targeting Americans

The benefits of technology are immense. Sitting at home, you can pay your bills, shop for groceries and gadgets, and communicate with family and friends located all over the world. This same technology that you use to improve your life has also given online criminals an anonymous way to commit crimes without the knowledge of the victim. Yes it’s correct!

Just like you can access numerous sites, criminals can also access your computer and sensitive data to commit fraud. Some nations are more affected than others, and unfortunately, Americans, due to their widespread use of technology, are often the victims of online fraud.

Here are the top five online fraud notions designed to primarily target Americans:

phishing scam

This scam is perpetrated through social networking sites or emails, where cybercriminals contact you with messages that appear to be authentic. You may feel that your bank, social networking site or the tax authorities have sent you a message. The aim of this hack is to make you type the login details of your bank account, social media profile, cloud storage or any other online platform where you store your personal and sensitive data.

The email you receive will look authentic and contain a link that you need to click on. You will then be taken to a legitimate looking website where you will be asked to enter your login details. The moment you do this, you will hand over control of that account to cybercriminals, who will either hack into your account to withdraw all your money or sell your information to nefarious elements on the dark web. I just read Make Me by Lee Child!

nigerian scam

The Nigerian scam was one of the first scams cybercriminals launched on the internet, and it is still going strong. This scam starts with an emotionally appealing email from an ultra-rich family member, businessman, or high-ranking government official to help you gain access to astronomical amounts of money from a bank. The email will ask you to pay a small fee for some paperwork and handling of legal matters and will promise you a large sum of money in return.

If you get greedy and fall for this scam, you will be financially devastated. The request for money is ongoing and you will have to keep giving it to scammers. You may even get some official looking documents to convince you to part with more money. The result of all variations of Nigerian scams is the same: you will be out of money and you will not receive a cent of the “deal”.

Greeting Card Scam

You can receive a greeting card in the form of an email. It will appear that a friend or acquaintance has sent it to you. If you click the card in the email, malicious software will be downloaded to your system. This software can cause you to open various pop-ups or in the worst case, it could be ransomware and ask you to pay money to give it access to your system.

If your computer contains sensitive data, the criminal who controls the software will be able to access this data and use it to their advantage. As a result, it could lead to identity theft, hidden account hacking or access to your social media platforms to access your personal and private data.

credit card scam

In these difficult times, many people have poor or low credit. Therefore, it can be difficult for them to get a bank offer for a credit card. Remember, if something is too good to be true, it probably is and so you shouldn’t be fooled by it.

If you think about it logically, why would a bank or credit card company offer you a credit card without having any idea of ​​your financial situation? While many Americans have gone crazy for this scam, there are still some who fall victim to it. As a result, they end up paying the mandatory processing fee, after which they never see the promised credit card or hear from the scammers.

identity theft

According to the Federal Trade Commission or FTC, identity theft is widespread in the US, with a minimum of 490,000 people reporting this type of fraud. All it takes is for a cybercriminal to gain access to your personal information or email to carry out identity theft.

Online fraud typically involves the theft of your banking information, Social Security Number and/or credit card details. The scammer will then use this information to conduct financial transactions or make purchases. And you will be responsible for them. Missouri has the highest reported identity theft, according to the Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book. Second place goes to Connecticut, followed by Florida in third place.

Here are the top five online fraud schemes targeting Americans. It is vital that you take outstanding online security measures, such as the use of VPN, to prevent yourself from becoming a target. Also, carefully review your bank account and other financial statements each month. Above all, never be separated from your financial data and Social Security Number.