Online scammers are improving their tactics daily. The tendency for one to fall victim to them is increasing daily.
Falling victim to newly invented scamming tactics is understandable, but for you to fall victim to an already known scam is very embarrassing. This is because many will expect you to know that it is a scam.
One thing that is very important to note is that recovering money lost to online scammers is always a case of luck. Sometimes, it might even be your money that will be used to pay the previously scammed victims in line to recover their money.
Therefore, you must do due diligence before you engage in any monetary or non-monetary transactions online. Remember, most online scammers do not first start their dealings as scammers. They might first run genuine transactions with you just to gain your trust for a bigger deal.
As an internet user, it is important that you learn these two things to avoid falling victim to online scammers. Also, to help protect others from falling victim.
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Two Things to Learn to Prevent and Protect Yourself and Others from Online Scammers.
1. Learn to Search Before Venturing
The search skill is a very relevant one in today’s internet world. Gone are the days when search engines like Google, Bing, etc. were the only option.
Today, the search bar on social media platforms is also a very good place to search.
Learn to look up information about the business, people, investments, competitions, etc. before you engage in them.
A simple search like “online scams” can bring up a list of posts people have made about their experience with scammers.
Your search can come in the form of questions. Just make sure the needed terms are included in the search.
An example of a question search might go like this: “Is ABC a scam?” or “Is (person name) a scammer?” or “Is ABC legit?”.
Remember, whenever you want to get the exact match of your search, you can place all your search terms on a quote. You can also exclude a term by using negative or minus symbols.
Always learn to look up information to see people’s previous opinions before venturing.
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How to Utilize The Search Result
It is not enough to know how to search. Another thing you should know is how to digest the results you get after a search.
Remember, search results are aggregated from different sources. Whether it is on Google or social media, so, it is people that create the results you get.
The results you get might as well come from the website or social media account of the person you are researching.
One important thing you should note is to avoid information coming directly from such sources. So far your aim is to verify them. Always know that such a website or page will always have positive reviews about the source.
Read results from other legit sources and most especially, look for results that contain people’s direct experience.
In order words, it will be wrong of you to search for information about a company on their website hoping to see negative reviews about them.
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2. Learn to Report and Share Your Experience With Online Scammers
Many are always shy to share the experiences they had with online scammers.
Whenever you are scammed, it is advisable you write about it and place it on a blog or social media for others to learn and take precautions.
If available, include also the scammer’s contact information and the name used during the scam process in your writing. This will be very instrumental to those who will be searching for confirmation.
Another way is to report the incident to the police, get a court order, and then proceed to your bank to make an official report. But always make sure you update the scammer’s detail and tactics online for others to learn.
If a social media account was used for the scam, it is also important you report it as a scam account and also invite your friends to do the same.
