How to Protect Yourself Against Online Scams

Avoiding Online Scams

As technology continues to advance, you probably find yourself spending more and more time on the Internet.

Whether you’re one of the millions of people who work from home or you just rely heavily on social media to stay connected with friends and family members, the internet is a major part of our lives, and that doesn’t seem to be changing.

In fact, the internet is becoming more prevalent in our daily lives than ever before. Thanks to food and shopping apps, you can now do everything online, whether it’s paying bills or having dinner delivered to your door.

As our reliance on the Internet continues to grow, unscrupulous individuals are constantly hatching new methods of accessing private information and launching scams.

In the past, many people assumed that Internet scams only targeted elderly individuals who weren’t quite as tech-savvy as their younger counterparts, but that’s just not the case any longer. Anyone who gets on the Internet is subject to getting scammed.

When it comes to personal security on the web, knowledge is power.

While you’ll likely never know about every new tactic that scammers are developing, you can recognize the signs of a scam before you find yourself tricked into providing personal information, spending money on products or services that don’t exist, and more.

The Rise of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is becoming more and more powerful. For decades, people, many of whom were half-joking, have discussed what’s going to happen when the robots take over.

While we’re certainly not getting close to that sort of robot rebellion, AI services have expanded greatly in the last couple of years, which has made life even easier for scammers.

Some scams, which we will discuss in more detail in a moment, are easy to spot because they’re generated by someone who speaks one language but tries to scam people across the globe. In many cases, some basic grammatical errors make a scam easy to spot. With the rise of AI, that’s not the case anymore.

Today, scammers can make their scam messages or emails, known as “phishing,” seem more genuine. By letting AI software compose the messages, these criminals can make it seem like they speak the language of their victims.

Another way that scammers are using AI involves AI artwork. It’s now possible to get AI to create a realistic-looking photo of anyone, including celebrities. Scammers use these photos to make it look like your favorite musician, movie star, or athlete endorsing a product.

This not only allows the scammers to take your money when you order a product that doesn’t exist, but they also have your credit card information after you place the order.

In the most sophisticated of AI-based scams, criminals use AI to make it look like you’re receiving a message or even a phone call from a friend or family member.

These scams, typically referred to as “grandparent scams,” usually involve the victim being convinced that someone they love, often an elderly relative, is in danger and needs money.

The best way to go about protecting yourself from these scams is to investigate things thoroughly before responding.

For instance, if you get an email or a message from someone claiming to be a friend or relative who needs money, contact that person through the channels that you have for them before responding.

If you can’t get in touch with the individual, call another relative or a mutual friend. If several people have received the exact same message, you’re probably being scammed.

Also, do your research before buying a product based on a celebrity endorsement. AI is powerful, but it’s possible to do some research and find out what’s really going on.

Student Loan Forgiveness Scams

As of a study published in September 2023, 43 million Americans have student loan debt totaling $1.3 trillion.

Student loan debt is a suffocating form of debt that cannot be wiped away by bankruptcy, leaving many people desperate to get out from under it. Scammers know this, which is why student loan forgiveness scams are on the rise.

As is the case with any type of loan, student loans require the applicant to provide a Social Security number. Scammers hope to get access to this information when sending fake applications for student loan debt relief.

There are two simple methods of avoiding these scams.

First, you should ignore any messages that ask you to pay a fee for the application. There are student loan debt forgiveness programs, but they do not charge. If you get any sort of message or phone call saying that you need to “act fast” or pay a fee, you can disregard it.

You can also ignore any phone call that involves student loan debt. The U.S. Department of Education will never contact you by phone regarding your student loans. You can also visit the website of the Department of Education before filling out any applications for student loan debt forgiveness.

Phone Scams

It may seem odd to see a discussion about telephone scams when talking about internet scams, but since most people carry phones that have internet access, the two are linked.

You’ve probably received some robocalls, many of which involve free vacations or extended warranties on your vehicle. In some instances, these robocalls involve AI-generated voices that can respond to your questions.

There are other phone-based scams that rely on real humans who impersonate someone else, typically IRS agents contacting you about outstanding taxes.

These impersonators may make threats about criminal action or civil suits in order to scare you into providing them with personal information.

It's also becoming more and more common for these scammers to try to get their victims to download an app.

After making contact by phone, the scammer may tell you that you need to download an app, which will probably look very real in your app store, so you can take the steps to either protect yourself from trouble or claim your free prize.

These apps then give the scammer access to your phone. Since most people store a lot of private information on their phones, scammers use these apps to gain access to that information.

Scammers have also launched widespread text barrages that follow the same general outline as some of these phone scams. The general premise is often the same, promising free gifts or threatening legal action.

Experts believe that scammers are using text scams because they can use mass-texting services to reach more people.

Don’t click on any links that you receive in a suspicious text message, as scammers can use your accessing these links to download spyware or malware onto your phone, giving them access to your personal data.

Additionally, keep in mind that the IRS will never contact you by text message to discuss any taxes that you owe.

Fraudulent Job Offers

Finally, it’s important to be aware of fraudulent job offers, which are commonly found on social media. To make these scams more dangerous, they’re often shareable. This allows the scammers to employ people you trust who unknowingly share a link with you, often through social media.

These scams became even more popular when remote work gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. When many people started working from home, they also picked up “side hustles.”

While there are plenty of work-from-home opportunities that are great for full-time employment or as supplemental income, some scammers are posting fake job opportunities. When people fill out the applications, they provide personal information.

If you see one of these offers, even if it comes from someone you trust who has shared a link, spend some time researching the company before providing any information.

As technology becomes even more prevalent in our lives, scams will continue to adapt and evolve. While there is nothing you can do to completely avoid these scams, knowing the warning signs can help you protect yourself from becoming a victim.