The Biggest Consumer Scams to Look Out For in 2022

scams

With the growing technology adding to our benefits, cybercriminals have made it obligatory to extract their not-so-fair share too. As advancements are made to create ease for us, there also comes an increase in cybercrime. Hence, we should take all precautionary measures and be aware of our most vulnerable loopholes.  

Scams can attack you in various forms. It is not that hard to discriminate between scams and authentic sources though. You might come across such frauds as popping links appearing when you’re surfing through the internet. Or you might even get exposed to them through phone calls or TV ads. Unlike the reliable Cox cable bundles, there are many services out there that may turn out to be a scam once you subscribe to them. So, educate yourself about the latest frauds by taking a look at the list below. 

Rental Assistance Program Scams 

Renters should be cautious about rental scams due to the expiration of eviction bans in states and cities. Scammers may contact you to get personal information and upfront payments. They may even impersonate non-profit or government employees to make you feel pressurized into giving up your information. To avoid such scams, you should only apply to rental assistance programs that are authentic and within your vicinity.  

Fake Job Scams 

Scammers can easily find basic information about you from authentic job websites and might use that as a means to contact you. They might offer you enticing payrolls, work-from-home opportunities, or even unbelievable perks. At times, these scammers pretend to be recruiters and extract additional information about you. While other times, they might urge you to pay a certain fee to get started, purchase a program, or send funds.  

Such fake job scams can be handled by keeping a separate email address for your job hunt. Furthermore, if the scammers name the company they claim to be working for, you can contact their HR department to confirm. 

Online Purchasing Scams 

This scam is the biggest risk to consumers, especially if it requires you to pay online in advance. It has become very convenient for people to purchase items online from the comfort of their homes. But not all websites are there to sell stuff. Some might just be fishing about for money. Online purchase scammers either ask you to purchase something online and never deliver it, or they might deliver something absolutely different from what you order. It is better to choose a cash-on-delivery option to pay upfront yourself after checking if the parcel includes exactly what you ordered or not. 

Romance Scams 

You can very easily be a target of romance scams if you use social media or dating sites. There are frauds out there who steal other people’s identities or create fake profiles to contact people. They usually go around looking to befriend people by sliding into their DMs. Such scammers are never interested in you but their conversations say otherwise. These unknown people can usually sway away innocent users with their words.  

Moreover, they might make you feel like they care deeply about you and wait for the right moment to lure you into the trap. They might make excuses if you ask them to meet or their follower count might help you detect if they’re legit or not. To financially manipulate you, they might ask for money because of a made-up emergency or might ask you to invest in their fake business. Whatever the case may be, you should avoid befriending unknown people online. These scams not only hurt you financially but also emotionally.  

One-Time Password (OTP) 

An even more direct method of scammers gaining access to your personal information is through OTPs. In an attempt to log into your account, these scammers might call or message you, pretending to be a representative of that company. They are most likely to urge you to tell them the code you received so they can carry on with the fraud.  

Cryptocurrency Fraud 

Almost everyone should be familiar with cryptocurrency by now. This currency uses digital files as its money. Unlike the common assumption of cryptocurrency being safe, there has been an increasing number of scams associated with it. Like other scams, scammers might ask you to invest or share your personal information. This consequently leads them to gain access to your digital wallet. Moreover, they can even trick you through contests, giveaways, and prizes. 

Conclusion 

Scammers are taking over the internet like a storm. It is crucial to be extremely vigilant when visiting different links or befriending someone online, in this day and age. One small mistake might leave you financially or emotionally wounded. Consumer scam incidents increase with each passing year and hence should be taken seriously. 

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