The internet provides a whole host of opportunities that were not available just a short time ago. One less desirable opportunity that has become a part of using the internet is coming into contact with unscrupulous people who are using the internet to rip people off.And there is no shortage of opportunities to be ripped off if a person is not careful!
So to avoid being ripped off you have to make every effort fend off the many rip off artists that now prowl the net. There are some basic steps that you can be taken to protect yourself from internet rip off scams.
The first step to take is to make sure that you have a current version of a comprehension antivirus, anti spam, anti spyware program loaded on all computers that you use to access the internet. The cost of the program verses the risk and likelihood of attack is very good. The average software package can be purchased for fifty to sixty dollars.
The second step to take is to develop some routines that you follow when using the internet. Never go to a website that you are not certain is safe. Good antivirus protection software such Trend Micro will flag sites that are potentially being used to scam and rip people off. If that warning comes up do not progress onto that page.
Next if a website requests personal information without good reason, do not give out the information. The only site that you want to give personal information to is a site that you have contacted to do business with. If you haven’t contacted the site for the purpose of making a purchase or doing some kind of internet activity such as playing a game do not fill out anything that requests your personal information.
The next step to take is to avoid giving information in response to confirmation requests. Your bank or online payment website or online auction site will not request that you give personal information in response to an email. They will ask you to visit their site and update it. Scam artists are sending requests to confirm information for all kinds of different types of accounts including credit cards, online payment sites, bank accounts, college financial information, or anything else that might contain personal information.
Another key step you can take to protect yourself is to avoid websites that are typically used for scamming.Many different types of websites tend to be favorites for scammers.
Any website that offers you something for free in exchange for taking a survey that includes personal information should be avoided. Sites that offer adult content and sites that offer video games that you can play are also favorites of the scammer.
Both are addictive type sites that can catch you in a weak moment and steal your personal information. Another ploy that scammers use is dating and singles websites. The scammer will try to make a personal connection in order to build trust that leads to the theft of your personal information.
A little caution can go a long way in protecting oneself while on the internet. The reality is that you do not have to be ripped off. Many online scams these days are so well put together people don’t realise they were scammed even after the event!
We will take a look at some popular scams over the next few weeks.
Getting ripped off is not mandatory.
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- Criminal Defenses - Great info.... [...] This chronicle without a doubt tells it like it is. It is right up my alley…
Thankfully I have not been ripped off yet, well at least not that I know about!!! I just treat everything ‘new’ as suspicious.
Spyware can be a real pain and in some cases severly damaging. I find that I need to have a spyware blocker or my computer just gets inundated with spyware. The best selling removers such as spyware doctor do actually work and are worth the cost. Some of the ‘free’ spyware blockers are actually spyware in disguise!
Thanks for sharing..I will visit again soon 🙂