Don’t Get Hooked: 4 Simple Ways to Spot an Online Scam
Scammers these days are highly professional, adapting to meet people online wherever they are. They also utilize every topic and trick to make their schemes more effective, such as tax refund scams, fake celebrity-endorsed investment opportunities, delivery notification scams, or urgent warnings from your bank. It’s shocking, but as people lost over $1 trillion to scams globally in 2023, online scams have become one of the top threats for everyone online.
To help you navigate the web safely, we've brought you information about the latest scams and practical tips to stay secure.
5 trending online scams
Scammers use various tricks to steal money or personal data, often exploiting trust, urgency, or lack of awareness. Here are some of the most common scams to watch out for.
Phishing Scams
Phishing attacks are on the rise, with scammers pretending to be trusted organizations such as banks, online stores, or government agencies to steal banking details or passwords. The point is to trick you into giving them without noticing the threat.
Investment Scams
These scams promise high, risk-free returns to lure victims into fake investments, often using AI-generated ads featuring well-known figures. Crypto scams are also common, where fraudsters disappear with investors’ money after launching fake projects. Investment scams typically cause the biggest losses, with victims in the US alone reporting over $4.6 billion in losses.
SMS Scams
Smishing scams involve fake messages from banks, delivery services, or authorities, typically claiming there’s an issue with your account, bills, taxes, or package. Victims are tricked into clicking malicious links, leading to phishing sites or malware downloads. Some are even convinced to transfer money to a fake “safe account.”
Romance Scams
Scammers build emotional connections online, pretending to be an attractive partner. After gaining trust, they ask for money, often for an "emergency" or a "future together," manipulating victims into financial losses. In 2022, median loss in a romance scam was $4,400.
4 easy ways to spot scams
Luckily, you don’t need a computer science degree to protect yourself online. While scammers are getting more sophisticated, with a little awareness and the right tools, you can stay one step ahead. Here are four easy ways to recognize a scam before it’s too late.
1. Embrace your inner skeptic
If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Scammers love to lure people in with promises of free money, incredible discounts, or urgent warnings about account issues. Before clicking on anything or providing personal information, take a step back and ask yourself: Does this seem realistic? If there’s even a slight doubt, it’s worth investigating further.
Scams often include links to pages that look identical to real websites—for example, your bank’s login page. Instead of following the link in the message, go directly to the official website through your browser or a trusted phone app. This healthy skepticism can quickly reveal scams.
2. Play detective and look into small details
Scammers often disguise links and emails to look legitimate. If you feel tempted to click, examine carefully how it's written. One small typo in an email address or a slightly altered URL can be the difference between safety and a phishing attack. For example, scammers might substitute similar-looking letters with numbers—such as changing "O" to "0" or "l" to "1."
Always hover over links before clicking to check their actual destination. If you’re unsure, use a security tool to verify link safety before opening. A little detective work can significantly help protect your information and money from scams.
3. Rush is your enemy, so slow down
One of the most common tactics scammers use is creating a sense of urgency. They want you to act fast—whether it’s a fake bank alert, an overdue bill, or a “limited-time offer.” Their goal is to pressure you into acting impulsively.
Don’t rush. Take a breath, read carefully, and verify the legitimacy of the message before acting. If someone is pressuring you to act immediately, that's a major red flag. It’s extremely unlikely that you need to do anything quickly, including transferring money to a “safe account,” verifying personal details, fixing your account balance, or responding to any other urgent excuse scammers create.
4. When in doubt, reach out
If something feels off, don’t engage with the suspicious message or caller directly. Instead, contact the company, bank, or individual through their official website or verified phone number. The best way is to sign into your bank account or user profile directly to check if there are legitimate notifications or alerts.
Also, never use contact details provided within the suspicious message—those could be fake as well. A quick call or email to the real organization will confirm whether something is legitimate or a scam attempt.
Finally, it’s always smart to ask someone you trust for a second opinion if you encounter something suspicious online. A family member or a friend might notice something important you didn’t.
Extra protection: a security app that shields you from scams
Even when you’re careful, noticing every single scam red flag can be challenging. While staying alert is crucial, using an all-in-one security helps you when something might slip by your radar. People fall to scams because scammers are very good at what they do nowadays.
A comprehensive security app is like your digital bodyguard, quietly protecting you from online trouble. For example, banking protection keeps your money safe, making sure you only deal with real bank sites—not the fake ones scammers love. Browsing protection gently warns you before you stumble onto dangerous websites or phishing links. Antivirus and malware protection quietly catches sneaky threats like ransomware or spyware in scam emails or downloads.
Some apps even filter SMS messages, blocking suspicious texts before you see them. And if your details ever appear in a data breach, identity protection tools quickly let you know, helping you react faster than scammers can.
With our tips for spotting scams and with the right security app on your side, avoiding scams becomes much easier, leaving you free to enjoy your time online without stress.