“Bits n Bytes”STEVE DICKENSvvCovid-19 has meant increasinglyhard times for millionsof people worldwide.But this has resulted in morepeople trying to separate youfrom your money, and sadlydue to desperation more peopleare falling for these scams.So I thought it’s an appropriatetime to remind you whatscams to try and avoid on theinternet.419 Fraud – Advance Fee ScamAlso known as the Nigerianletter scam, 419 fraud is oneof the most common scams onthe internet, one you may havealready seen in your own inbox.The advance fee schemetakes its name after the sectionof the Nigerian criminalcode that outlaws fraud. Accordingto the FBI, more than14,600 people reported fallingvictim to advance fee scamsin 2019. Collectively, theylost $100.6 million, or roughly$6,800 each.The scammer usuallyclaims to be a member of awealthy Nigerian or anotherWest African family, reachingout to you personally after thedeath of a loved one. He orshe seeks to relocate a largefortune out of the country forsafekeeping purposes andinto your bank account. Thecatch? You must submit smallpayments for fees in returnfor a large chunk of their cashcache.4You should never respondto these requests or volunteeryour bank details, end of!Pre-Approved NoticeYou receive a letter or an emaildeclaring that you have beenpre-approved for either a creditcard or bank loan. Those experiencingfinancial strain mayfall victim to this scam, whichpromises instant approval andappealing credit limits. Thecatch? You must pay a fee upfrontand at the time of signup.Keep in mind that thoughcredit card companies docharge annual fees, you willnever be asked to pay themat sign-up. Accredited bankswon’t know your credit situationand pre-approve you unsolicited.The Phishing ScamYou receive an email from aseemingly familiar enterpriseyou deem legitimate such asBUSINESS SUPPLEMENTyour bank, university or a retaileryou frequent. The messagedirects you to a site—usually to verify personalinformation such as email addressesand passwords—thatthen steals your informationand exposes your computer toattack by scammers. Phishingscams are some of the mostcommon out there. Accordingto the FBI, more than 114,700people fell victim to phishingscams in 2019. Collectively,they lost $57.8 million, orabout $500 each.You should never click thelinks provided in suspiciousemails. Doing so will makeyour computer and personalinformation vulnerable toviruses and malware. Again,though the sender may seemlegitimate—which is exactlywhat the scammer wants youto believe—no reputable institutionwill ask for your passwordor other key personalinformation online. Phishingemails will often contain typosor grammatical errors, and thesender's email address oftenlooks suspicious.Disaster Relief ScamsWhen disaster strikes, so dofraudsters. Hiding behind theguise of an actual aid organization,scammers will use atragedy or natural disaster tocon you out of your money. Bythinking you’re donating to anemergency relief fund, you unwittinglyprovide credit card orother e-payment information.Travel ScamsScammers have added socialmedia to their bag of tricks.By posting enticing photos onsites like Pinterest, Twitter orInstagram, scammers havebeen known to dupe even thesavviest of travelers. Uponclicking the image—whichlures clicks through the promiseof a free trip or plane tickets—youwill be prompted toeither complete a survey rifewith personal information oropen your computer up to secretlymalicious software.Make sure the social mediapage you’re on is an accreditedaccount. All major airlinesand travel sites will have theirsocial media handles on theirrespective web pages. Don’tbe fooled by a Twitter accountthat appears to be that of amajor airline.Debt Relief ScamsIndividuals who are down ontheir luck can easily fall for anemail claiming to relieve theirdebt. This scam makes thefalse promise of collaboratingwith creditors to either consolidateor settle debts. All youneed to do? Pay an up-frontfee for the services.As with the credit card scamseen earlier, you should nevervolunteer your personal financialinformation to facilitate anup-front fee. This is especiallydangerous if you’re already ina dire financial situation.Lottery ScamCongratulations! You’ve wonthe lottery or some otherlarge amount of money! Exceptyou haven’t. This bogusemail comes to you out-of-theblue—usuallyclaiming to bea part of international sweepstakes—stressingyou’ve wonbig and that you just need tosend over a processing fee orget in touch with someone whocan process your winnings.Unless you have enteredsome legitimate lottery, chancesare you haven’t won thejackpot. When you win the lottery,you contact the appropriateretailer—not the other wayaround.Fake Check or Money TransferYou list something on an auction-basedwebsite, and thewinning bidder offers to payyou more than the offeredpurchase price via cashier’s,corporate or personal check.Upon receiving the scammer’scounterfeit check, youare conned into sending thedifference back through bankwire. Then you have to pay thebank back in full once the fakecheck bounces.12Never accept payment formore than your selling price.Additionally, you should opt fora secure form of e-payment,such as PayPal or GoogleWallet, to ward off scammers.The Bottom LineIt’s safe to assume that ifanyone is asking for yourbank or personal information,you’re being taken for ascam. You should never giveout personal information toanyone on the internet whocontacts you directly. If youhave to make a financialtransaction online, makesure you’re doing so on asecure server and through areputable site.If for any reason you believeyou’ve been scammed,you should immediatelychange all of your passwordsand delete any malicioussoftware you may havedownloaded. And alwaysremember: If it sounds toogood to be true, it probably is.Steve Dickenshas worked in managerial and consultancyroles for over 40 years with international technologycompanies, 15 of which have beenhere in Thailand. He can be contacted atstevedickens@hotmail.comHigh Tower Co., Ltd. Tel: 038 411 009For all your advertising enquiries - Tel: 0846 77 43 60
BUSINESS SUPPLEMENTTry before you buy!Property trials start at :770,000 B ($25,000 USD)returning 385,000 B ($12,500 USD) in 5 yearsGet yourself on the property ladder and earn as you learnPay down 20% with nothing more to pay for 5 yearsReceive 10% rental return on what you’ve paidEnd of the 5 year term. If you like it, buy it.If you don’t, then sell it backFinance availablePratumnak,Soi 2,PattayaFOR FULL DETAILS ON THIS PROMOTION CONTACT :085-395-2021E-MAIL : info@cubepattaya.comEmail: ben.hightowerltd@gmail.comwww.Thailand-Business-Supplement.com
Change language