Fraud in life is common. The world wide web is no exception. Fraud is a willful and deliberate attempt to deceive somebody into transferring property or gaining advantage that otherwise would not be possible with full disclosure and basic honesty. The web adds a layer of complexity where shysters take advantage of the fact that most web users are not computer savvy.
Fake or scam web sites are designed to trick visitors into downloading software, buy products, donate money, or install malware to steal personal information. Much effort is placed into making these sites look legitimate.
Avoiding online scams is the same as everyday life. The old proverb applies about “something being too good to be true.” Add a touch of common sense. Be a tad paranoid and skeptical. Do not be afraid to be cynical and presume the web site is a hoax. Always ask others, which includes a basic web search about the web site or parent company. There are plenty of web sites dedicated to exposing fraudulent web sites.
Be wary of vendors selling a single product or a restricted line of products. If the product is legitimate, then look for the same product on popular and well trusted merchant web sites. Buying through well known merchants usually means a healthier refund policy and warranty protections.
When a product is new and not yet available in mainstream retail outlets, conduct a thorough investigation to validate a legitimate business.
When visiting any web site where money and personal information is involved, always ensure the site is using SSL/TLS, commonly known as https or secure http. Web browsers provide various ways to verify this type of connection. The most common indication is using a lock icon.
When visiting web sites from another web page or email link, always verify the URL is legitimate. The first indication of a fraudulent web site is when hovering the mouse pointer over the link, the web browser or email status bar shows a different URL than what is displayed on screen. Even when hovering indicates the URLs match, be watchful when accessing the web site for a redirect to a different URL. In most cases the final web site URL should not be different from the original link.
Another clue with fraudulent web sites is horrible or sloppy grammar and spelling. Many non English speaking people run legitimate businesses and web sites. Such people spend time and money to ensure their English web sites are professional and correct.
Legitimate business owners do not hide their contact information.
Many fraudsters do not use known phone services. If a phone number is not traceable using basic online search tools then possibly the vendor is using a prepaid disposable cell phone.
Scam artists often like to claim the products they are selling are “genuine.”
Often they sell products at hard-to-believe low prices, which might indicate they are selling stolen goods. Or they are selling refurbished goods where repair quality might be questionable.
Any first contact from such vendors that is initiated by the vendor should be treated with suspicion. Few legitimate vendors try to directly contact prospective customers.
Any online purchase form that is designed to automatically adds products or services to the shopping cart should be treated with suspicion.
While still not used by many people, legitimate online business owners allow purchases using the PayPal system.
In the computer software world, vendors seldom advertise through traditional mediums such as TV and radio. When using these mediums, related security products usually are sold using basic scare tactics. Much of this type of software is difficult to remove and often comes with its own malware and spyware. Often this type of software is designed to automatically charge credit cards with each update. Any such software product advertised in these mediums should be thoroughly investigated before buying.
Fraudulent sites are not limited to software products. Get rich quick and work from home schemes are just as popular on the web as they were only a generation ago in the back of magazines and matchbook covers.
If a personal investigation reveals no obvious fraud yet the vendor is not a well known online merchant, and a product still seems enticing, consider using a pre paid debit card. Buy a card that requires no online registration and is good for online purchases as soon as the card is purchased. The One Vanilla card is such a card. As these pre paid cards are sold in increments rather than specific dollar amounts, pay only as much as necessary to cover the cost of the product and shipping and handling. This limits any fraudulent seller from continually using the card for automatic renewals or updates and avoids using personal credit cards.
Many scam artists hosting fraudulent web sites are not selling anything. Instead they are phishing for personal information. Phishing relies heavily on social engineering. This is where skepticism helps. Do not be gullible. Do not trust strangers.
Another popular scam is through trading web sites, such as craigslist. Buying and selling through such venues requires serious effort to avoid being scammed. When using such venues, avoid having buyers coming directly to your home. Use a prepaid disposable cell phone to avoid being stalked or harassed. When buying or selling, agree to meet in a well lit public location. Bring along some muscle men too.
Scam artists are not limited to hosting scam web sites. Popular social media sites such as dating sites often have a high number of scam artists trying to engage gullible and less knowledgeable people.
Not all “fake” web sites are fraudulent. Some are called hoax sites. A popular example is the web site about Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO). While looking legitimate and scary, this particular site is only pure fun. The hoax succeeds only with a lack of science knowledge. If you don’t see the hoax, Dihydrogen means two molecules of hydrogen and Monoxide means one molecule of oxygen. Dihydrogen Monoxide is a prankster way of describing water (H2O).
Fraud is common. The web only allows fraud to occur faster and without ever meeting anyone face-to-face. The carpenter’s proverb of measuring twice and cutting once applies to buying and selling online. Think and be careful.
And have fun visiting hoax sites.
Technical trivia: The forerunner of computer punch cards was the Jacquard loom, first demonstrated in 1801, a mechanical weaving loom that used wooden punch cards.
Next issue: The End of 2015.
He has been doing this for years. Here is an early video from years ago.
- Free Gift Phishing Scams (Notice 2020-001) - January 15, 2020
- Tech Support Phone Scam (Notice 2019-001) - March 14, 2019
- VPNFilter Router Malware (Notice 2018-007) - May 30, 2018