Find everything on the Internet, and unfortunately, not just good stuff. There are countless legal and illegal ways to deceive and even defraud Internet users. Online criminals from all walks of life find their victims.
If you want to avoid becoming a victim of online fraud yourself, you need to be on your guard, because there are people everywhere who are looking for their own advantage and will stop at nothing. They will try to obtain your personal data, either legally through a social connection or underhandedly; they will trick you into installing malware or accessing your e-wallet or bank account. Be vigilant, especially if a website looks suspicious with these types of insidious scams.
Pop-up windows
To gain an audience or make a profit, many websites use sneaky tricks. Perhaps the worst scams are pop-ups. Pop-ups are annoying in themselves, but when they have bad buttons to close the window on top of everything else, the fun stops. You can't click them without entering your email address or visiting the advertising website. For this reason, many Internet users usually do not touch the pop-up windows.
Another variation used by fraudsters is to provide the "close" button with a link that is not immediately obvious and often corresponds to a "like" click on Facebook. Inexperienced users may inadvertently "link" or share a page in this way, even if they just wanted to close the pop-up. Pages that use these and similar strategies are not trustworthy.
Don't click on "Like" or "Share"
Anyone who is so aggressive in their attempt to obtain user data is probably just as irresponsible with the information. Don't click "Like" or "Share" just to close a window. It is better to look for a button that will actually close the window. Because why should you give your personal information to someone who will only use it for their own benefit? Various photo hosting services and torrent trackers place the actual download button at the bottom of the page, and also position large buttons higher up, which attract attention but do not perform the desired action.
Thus, unfortunately, it can easily happen that users unintentionally download and install other software, such as an application from one of the website's advertising partners.
This type of adware is called "adware". If you do not want to constantly rid your system of unnecessary applications, you should carefully check the files you download. Or you can install Kaspersky Internet Security, a security software that protects users from malware infections.
Security warning! Your PC is infected!
Fake pop-ups are even more dangerous. They imitate system notifications, messages from dating platforms and social networks or warnings of a supposed virus infection. At best, these pop-ups will redirect you to an advertising site where you can download a useless "anti-virus program" or register on a suggestive dating site.
At worst, the fraudsters will spy on your browsing sessions and, for example, notice when you access your online banking site. They then use a pop-up window with a supposed notification from your bank.
Users who are fooled could then use the pop-up window to enter their login details to log in to their online bank account and thus transmit their login details to the cybercriminals.
With a special browser extension, such as AdBlock, you can eliminate annoying banners. Kaspersky Internet Security users can also activate the anti-banner function.
Download free monitoring software
No registration required! When looking for a driver, it's easy to find websites that offer "useful" software such as supposed drivers, security updates and system updates for free download. In fact, they usually distribute malware instead. This is an old trick, but very effective.
If you don't want to fall into the trap, you should only download software from official or reputable third-party sites. If you want the software, take the right route.
Can I see your passport, please?
Fraudsters brazenly use online auction and shopping platforms like eBay. They can steal money from both buyers and sellers, so you need to be very careful if the other party asks you for sensitive information.
Under the guise of "needing to verify something", they often ask for a secret SMS code or credit card CVV2 code. Do not give this information to anyone under any circumstances. Or contact your banking institution, which will certainly give you the same answer: do not give this information to anyone else.
Millions in a week!
Many people dream of making money quickly, but keep your cool if you don't want to become a victim of an online financial pyramid or high-yield investment program.
The majority of no-name investment programs, whether online or offline - expire faster than you can collect your money.
Features of "bonuses"!
Torrent trackers and websites offering pirated games, using nasty scams. Do we need to explain that it is not a good idea to download books or movies from an unknown torrent site?
There are countless sites that look like torrent trackers, but instead of pirated files, they distribute keyloggers, trojans and ransomware. In short: the entire spectrum of malware. From a cybersecurity perspective, it is not recommended to download files from unknown websites. If you take the risk anyway, check the file extension carefully. If you get an .exe file instead of a .doc, .rtf. or .torrent file, you are dealing with online scammers. All files downloaded from unknown sources should therefore be checked by an antivirus program.