Scams 101: A Guide to Common Types of Online Scams
Course | Introductory | Module | 2
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
~ Wayne Dyer
Introduction: Common Types of Online Scams
In the previous article, we explored three of the most common misconceptions we tend to have about online scams, their perpetrators and their targets. But there is still one important misconception that we have not addressed: the idea that online scams are static or unchanging.
At first glance, this may seem like a silly misconception to have. We all know that the digital world is defined by constant advancement in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality, so it is no surprise that online scams have followed suit. Despite this, our awareness of how rapidly and continuously the digital world changes is not always reflected in the way that we view online scams.
When asked to imagine an example of an online scam, many of us would still picture a poorly written email filled with spelling errors and unbelievable promises of instant wealth. It is this default expectation of what online scams should look like that can make us blind to what they have actually come to be.
With this being said, having a solid understanding of some common types of online scams can help us better prepare for protecting ourselves against their latest trends – as long as we keep an open mind about the forms that these scams could take. For this reason, we will now explore five of the most common types of online scams that we might come across over the course of our online activities.
1: Phishing & Spear-Phishing Scams
Often, when we think about online scams, what comes to mind are out-of-the-blue emails and text messages that try to trick us into giving away our personal information through various backstories, promised rewards, or warnings. These kinds of scams are known as phishing scams, and they usually work by getting us to click on hyperlinks or download attachments that install malware onto our devices. This can lead to the theft of our data and personal information. We can think about phishing scams in much the same way that we do commercial fishing in the real world: while commercial fishermen try to catch as many fish as possible in their nets, cybercriminals use phishing scams to trick as many targets as possible through their emails, texts and other messages.
While spear-phishing scams rely on very similar techniques to normal phishing scams, the main difference between them lies in the scale of their targets. In real spear-fishing, a handheld spear is thrown into the water with the aim of catching a single fish. The same principle applies to online spear-phishing scams, as they are specially crafted to trick a single target or a specific group of targets into giving away their personal information. For example, an online scammer may create an email that appears to have been sent by the IT department of a certain business in the hopes of tricking its employees into installing malware onto their devices.
2: Vishing Scams
Vishing scams, also known as voice-phishing scams, are when online scammers use phone calls to trick us into giving away our personal information. Most often, these online scams involve calls from scammers pretending to be the employees of banks and other financial institutions. However, with the use of AI, they have become increasingly sophisticated. This is because scammers are now able to clone voices and spoof phone numbers to convince us that we are talking to our family, friends or colleagues.
It is important that when we receive a distressing or unusual phone call from a bank, business, family member or friend, we first hang up and dial the number we have saved on our contacts to confirm whether the situation is real before taking any further action.
3: Brand Spoofing Scams
Brand spoofing scams are another form of phishing, and they have also become increasingly popular. In these scams, online scammers copy the layout and branding of well-known businesses and create their own fake websites. When we access these fake websites, either through the Internet or via hyperlinks included in phishing emails, we may be tricked into giving away our personal information (like our account login details or credit card numbers). This is why we should always double-check hyperlinks before accessing websites or making purchases online.
4: Advance-Fee Fraud / 419 Scams
As one of the oldest types of online scams, 419 or advance-fee scams work by promising their targets large sums of money in return for a small up-front investment. Most often, they take the form of emails from strangers who claim to be from foreign countries, and who have recently come into the possession of a vast sum of money. The targets of these scams are promised a share of this money, provided they cover some initial costs, and agree to share their banking information to have the money transferred to them. Ultimately, the targets of these scams make a series of investments before realising that they have been tricked.
In more extreme cases, these scams may get targets involved in illegal activities such as money laundering in order to prevent them from ever reporting the scam. This is yet another reason why it is so important for us to remain vigilant online, and to equip ourselves with the knowledge and skillsets we need to recognise scams for what they are before we put ourselves at risk.
5: Romance Scams
With the rise of online dating platforms, romance scams have become increasingly sophisticated and widespread. They can also, for a variety of reasons, be some of the most difficult scams to identify. Most romance scams are initiated on official online dating platforms and social media sites, but will ultimately move over to other instant messaging apps. This allows the scammers to build a greater amount of trust with their targets, and to make them believe that they are in a real romantic relationship, before making requests for money. Usually, these will start off as very small amounts, but will quickly increase to much larger sums.
As with 419 scams, romance scams can escalate to more serious criminal activities such as blackmail or money laundering. This, coupled with the very personal nature of these scams, can make it difficult for individuals to recognise or report the fact that they have been scammed. Ultimately, it is always safest to confirm someone’s true identity in person, and to be cautious about the pace at which an online relationship develops.
Conclusion:
Over the course of this article, we have identified the importance of keeping an open mind about the different forms that online scams could take. We have also explored five of the most common types of online scams, including phishing, vishing, brand spoofing, advance-fee and romance scams. In the articles that follow, we will move away from the lens of technology to that of language as we continue to develop our holistic approach to online safety.