Scammers are standard in 2022 and the older generations are vulnerable to these scams. However, if you are not sure what a scam is, it is hard to avoid. If you do not consider yourself “tech savvy” then being aware of these will be difficult. The problem is that there are so many scams out there. It is hard for anyone to notice a scam, even if they are used to using technology for their day-to-day lives.
Scams have been around ever since the internet has been around. Furthermore, there are hundreds, if not thousands of scams each day around the world. Some are far more costly than others but small scams are just standard.
In this article, we will discuss the different scams that you might have heard of. Some are far more common than others however, you still need to be aware of the others.
Investment Scams
With the cost of living continuing to increase, many people are trying to find ways to get a secondary income. One of those new income sources is investing their money in a stock or property. However, due to the increased interest in investment, there seem to be more scams than ever.
Investment fraudsters can be smart with how they do it, making it difficult to spot. Some of the investment scams include several companies calling to offer you a high return, the offers may be for a limited time to get you to sign up, and the company may also be listed with Companies House.
If an investment company contacts you out of blue, then you know they are not legitimate. An official investment company won’t call you so you should always remember this. Due to the increase in investment fraud, there are many investment fraud lawyers to help you recover from your losses. If you believe you have been a victim of an investment scam then you should probably contact a wealth recovery solicitor to see if they can get your money back. It isn’t always guaranteed that your money can be recovered. Nonetheless, it is worth a try.
Pension Scams
Pension scams have also become common in recent years. For those who are 55 and over and can access their pension, pension scammers may get in touch with you. They may offer you a free pension review as well. Pension scams are prevalent so as long as you can spot them you should be safe.
If you lose money through a pension scam, it is unlikely that you will be able to recover your losses. Furthermore, you will still have to pay up to 55% tax.
Phone Scams
Phone scams are another common scam, no matter what age you are. These scams will usually be people pretending to be from the bank or the police. They will try to trick you into giving them card details and then take your money.
Some of the things that a scammer would say is a fraudulent payment has been spotted on your account, ask you to call back with the number of your card, or ask you to key your PIN in your phone.
If you have noticed anything questionable, you should wait at least 30 minutes before calling anyone. Once the time has passed, you should ring your bank however, we suggest you call on a different mobile device.
There are many different phone scams to be aware of so make sure you educate yourself on these scams. For example, a fake computer support call is another common phone scam. A fraudster will likely pretend to be from Microsoft, Apple or any other major security company. Again, companies like these won’t call you so you shouldn’t expect a phone call from them.
Email Scams
Email scams are another common scam although these are easier to spot. Furthermore, there are many different email scams you may come across.
Phishing Emails
Phishing emails are the most common emails out there. These are emails pretending to be another business. They will also have an email similar to a professional email from that business. Another thing, their websites will look similar to the business so ensure that everything is correct. The URL may be slightly different which is what you need to check.
Traveller Emails
These emails will try to impersonate a family member or a friend. Additionally, they will be claiming their money has been stolen and ask for you to send money over. You may also receive text messages that are similar to this as well.
Advanced Fee
An advanced fee is something else that you may come across. The clue is in the name of this particular email scam. A scammer will email you, convincing you they can make you a lot more money for a small investment. For example, they will ask for £100 and promise a return of over £1000. There can be no guarantees with these returns so you should reject and block them straight away.
To Conclude
There are many different types of scams that you can easily fall for. Furthermore, the trick to not being a victim is understanding what a scam looks like. A scam will generally look the same as those that we have mentioned.
If you have any questions about a scam or you think an email looks suspicious, you should probably avoid it. If a scammer is trying to impersonate a friend, message one of your other friends to find out if it is true.
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