How to avoid being scammed on the internet advices by MyTrendingStories blogging platform today? Despite the misconception that fraudsters target senior citizens, a recent study by the FTC found that more millennials than retirees are now getting scammed out of money online. The Better Business Bureau warns about online fraud happening within social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. It starts with a “friend or relative” who contacts you, claiming that you are entitled to free money. But there’s a catch – they want you to pay upfront for shipping or provide your personal information. Follow these tips to avoid a social media scam: Don’t give out your password (and don’t use the same password for multiple accounts) ; Set your account to private and do not accept friend requests from people you don’t know; Always use a secure network, not public Wi-Fi; Keep apps, browsers, and antivirus software up-to-date.

Live news with Mytrendingstories.com writing platform: Phishing is an attempt to get financial information directly from the consumer by posing as a legitimate company or financial institution. Most people know not to trust the Nigerian prince who wants wire them money, but phishing emails have evolved beyond these far-fetched plots. This type of fraudulent email typically comes in two parts: You are threatened with losing money. Examples of this include your PayPal account being suspended or fake unauthorized purchases made on your Amazon account. You are promised something for free. Flashy emails that ask you take a survey for a free gift card, enter to win a free iPad/iPhone, or participate in a free trial of a new diet pill could actually be the first steps in stealing your money. Never click on a link or sign up for offers in an unsolicited email. If you get an email from a vendor saying your account is suspended, visit that site directly to confirm. An example would be, if you are made to believe your PayPal account is suspended, go to paypal.com and log in to see if it’s true, don’t click any provided links.

MyTrendingStories anti-scam guides: Cindy Dawson, a 39-year-old customer service representative for a manufacturing firm, fell for a Nigerian named Simon Peters whom she met on a dating site. “We started talking on the phone,” the divorced mother of three recalls. “He said his father lived in Bolingbrook, Illinois, not far from me.” They exchanged photos; Peters was a handsome man. Dawson sent him pictures of her kids, who also talked to him on the phone. “He kept saying how much he cared about me,” says Dawson, fighting back tears at the memory. “I was in love with him.” Soon enough, Peters started asking for money—small amounts at first, to buy food. He always wanted the money wired by Western Union to someone named Adelwale Mazu. Peters said he couldn’t use his own name because he didn’t have the right documentation. “It started progressing to higher amounts of money,” says Dawson. “I sent him money for airfare from Nigeria. I drove to the airport, but he never showed.” Avoidance maneuver: “On the Internet, it is almost impossible to be too paranoid,” says Durst. “But don’t be paralyzed; be smart.” Dating and social-networking sites can be a great way to meet new friends, even from foreign countries. But if someone you know only from the Web asks for money, sign off quickly and follow these other tips for keeping yourself safe from online dating scams. Read additional details at mytrendingstories scam.

Mytrendingstories discuss how to escape scams: If you receive a random text message telling you to click on a link that advertises some amazing deal or prompts you to cancel a particular service, this is most likely a smishing scam. A smishing scam is a strategic way for criminals to get you to give out your personal information by taking action on a fraudulent link in a text message. “Smishing professionals use text messages that lure you into clicking on links or providing personal information in response to a text message from what appears to be a trusted source,” Steven J.J. Weisman, author of the book “Identity Theft Alert,” told Experian. “They’ll use other strategies, too.” Although many online retailers are legitimate, many others are not. If you shop on a fake website, you might receive a knockoff product, something completely different from what was advertised or nothing at all.

Scammers continue to find more creative ways to get your cash. This guide can never be completely comprehensive with all the latest scams but we aim to help you to learn what to look out for. The stories around the scams may change, but what you should do to spot and avoid them doesn’t. Have you ever heard of the email from a Nigerian prince wanting you to share his fortune? The person stranded overseas needing £1,000 to get home which they’ll pay straight back? Or the lottery you’ve won in Spain – even though you don’t live there, and have never entered a lottery there? The best way to prevent scammers from getting their hands on your hard-earned cash is to know how to protect yourself in the first place. Here are our top tips on how to avoid scams. They aren’t all fail-safes, but they can help you think before you act. Rule of thumb: Mistaking the genuine for a scam is nowhere near as bad as mistaking a scam for the genuine. See even more details at https://mytrendingstories.com/.