How to Spot an Online Scam

Due to the rise and advancements being made in technology, scams are becoming more and more prevalent. Scams today target your money as well as personal details, so it is important to understand how to spot a scam online to protect yourself. 

First of all, you need to understand that anyone can become the target of a scam. It doesn’t matter what your age, income, or background is. Therefore, you should be alert and don’t think that you are safe from falling victim to a scam.

The following are a few red flags to watch for:

Online Scams

We talk to people every day about starting an online business, and it’s a real concern hearing from potential clients that they have been scammed online and they are skeptical because of this. So, to avoid being scammed online, we would recommend you check the websites about us and contact us page.

If the business isn’t listing a real address and contact phone number on their contact page, and the about us page is a bunch of generic text and no photos of real people, it’s probably a scam. Do your due diligence if you are purchasing anything of significant value online, check the business owners social media pages and make sure they are a real person. Once again if you can’t find out the business owners name, the business is potentially a scam.

Email Scams

It is easy to fake an email as well and make it look official. Im sure you have received those emails from Apple or Paypal asking you to login and confirm your account details. To check to see if the email is legitimate, simply look at the email address. If the email address is a random one e.g. AppleMail@gmail.com be alert about which links you click on and what attachments you are opening.

Remember, online scams are easy to do and can sometimes be hard to avoid if you do not stay alert. Company logos, photos, and other information can be taken from online sites and used to create emails, profiles, and documents that look legitimate and may cause you to let your guard done.

Always be mindful and protect your personal details and never click on pop-ups or links if you don’t know where they came from. 

If you would like to find out more information about starting a business click here to check out our new website businesses for sale.