Internet Scams People Don’t Know About

• False health organizations. Scammers impersonate health care providers such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They do that in order to sell tests, remedies, or other COVID-19 information.
• Websites that sell fake goods. Face masks, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, and other high-demand items are advertised on these sites but never delivered. Don’t wait for weeks to get your items, stick to only purchasing things from well-known sources.
• Unreliable government sources. These scammers claim to be acting on behalf of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or a local tax body, issuing updates and payments.
• Financial offers that are fraudulent. Aiming to acquire your financial information, scammers may act as banks, debt collectors, or investors.
• Fake nonprofit donation requests. Many people enjoy donating to nonprofit organizations to support disaster relief. Scammers might use this as an opportunity to put up a phony charity, hospitals, and other organizations to collect your cash. Instead of clicking on a link that you received via email or text, you can donate directly through the website of a respected nonprofit organization.

Other types of Internet Scams:

•  Disaster relief. When tragedy strikes, whether it’s a pandemic or a natural disaster, scammers are ready to cash in. They will pose as a legitimate relief agency and use a tragedy or natural disaster to defraud you of your money. If you believe that they are actually a good agency, you will end up giving them your credit card or other e-payment information. In order to not be fooled, stick to donating only to genuine organizations. Before you give your money, check out GuideStar or Charity Navigator to be sure the group you’re helping is legitimate.
• Phishing Scams. You might receive an email from a seemingly trustworthy organization, like your bank, a university, or a store you usually go to. The message directs you to a site that steals your information and exposes your computer to scammers They do that while you are usually asked to verify sensitive information, such as email addresses and passwords.

It has been found that scams involving fishing are very common attacks on consumers. In conformity with the FBI, over 100,000 people became the victims of this type of scamming in 2019. Together, they lost more than $50 million.