Protect Yourself from Scammers: The Latest Online Scams You Need to Know About

It's no surprise that the Internet has become a haven for con artists, what with its widespread use in commerce and everyday life. Most of us now know how to keep our inboxes, social media accounts, and dating sites safe, but this means that thieves must come up with new methods of attack. Scammers have become more targeted, making it far more difficult to avoid becoming a victim. By integrating cam chat into platforms like Google Calendar, users can safeguard their personal information and prevent falling prey to scams.

Beware of Scammers Using Google Calendar: How to Protect Yourself from Modern-Day Cons

This is How the con works?

To begin with, hackers will flood your Google Calendar with enticing activities. And if you've got your calendar configured to automatically add events to which you've been invited, fraudsters will target you specifically. Google will begin sending reminders once the event is added. All right, so you accepted the invitation. You open it to see a message that says "Congrats," implying that there is a monetary prize inside.

Don't get your hopes up, however

If you click on the text link, you will be sent to a page where you can input your name, address, and payment details, all in one convenient place. How this information might be used by scam artists is, well, apparent. Nevertheless, these days we know better than to trust every unfamiliar email that lands in our inboxes. Box, but very few people anticipate a phishing link to be delivered to their Google Calendar, so someone who has only ever received invites from colleagues and friends will fall into the trap.

Fortunately, it doesn't take much effort to safeguard yourself against this con

To put it another way, you won't have to uninstall that app that helps you keep track of your life. Throw open the Google Calendar. To find the option to automatically add invites, go to settings, then choose event settings. Check this box to hide all except the invites to which you have answered. This way, if you get a dubious invitation, you can simply disregard it and it will disappear from your calendar permanently. You need also make sure the checkbox for "display denied events" is deselected.

Be wary of this modern-day scam

When it comes to conveniences, for instance, who doesn't like no-cost Wi-Fi? But, exploiting an unidentified hotspot requires extra caution. Just imagine you have an immediate need for Internet access and you find yourself in an unfamiliar place like an airport or a coffee shop. You look into the accessibility of Wi-Fi and the ease of use of this location. There is no need to provide a password, but the con artist who set up this network may be able to access your data via their laptop.

You'll need to fiddle with your device settings some more to protect yourself from falling for this scam

Turn off your Wi-Fi when you're not using it, disable the "ask to join new networks" option, and make sure your device doesn't automatically connect to any open networks. More than that, I would recommend that you wait until you are there. At a public venue like an airport, it is important to know the name of the official Wi-Fi network. There are messages within that direct you to a malicious website where you will be asked to provide your personal and financial details.

Here is How the Email may Read as an Example

An issue was discovered in your account when we were doing routine maintenance, we apologies for the inconvenience. We will disable your account if you do not change your information within the next 24 hours. This phishing attempt may look rudimentary at first glance, but once you're the target, the email takes on a highly professional air. After all, nobody likes the idea of missing out on their favorite programme. Fortunately, Netflix has issued a number of guides on how to prevent falling victim to such scams.

Avoid responding if you are suspicious that the email you received was not sent from Netflix

Another technique that has gained popularity lately is the Hitman scam. You get a menacing email demanding payment. The victim may be threatened with harm to themselves or a member of their family, or their property may be threatened with destruction. Today, cybercriminals populate the email with data about you and your life to make the threat seem more genuine and deadly.

For the benefit of the layperson especially

Your phone buzzes, but you don't recognise the number. You decide to reply anyhow. The other party identifies themselves as an employee of a software development firm and states the purpose of their call. They claim that hackers have compromised your computer and that only they can resolve this critical situation. A computer's serial number is one of its most identifying features, and they'll gladly provide you with access to it if you ask.

The con artist could convince you to provide them access to your computer remotely

The next step is for them to steal your personal information or get you to download useless security software. If you provide your consent, they demand payment for the programme. There's no way around it; you just have to give the fraudsters your credit card information. But, this unfortunate scenario may be avoided if you do not give up any personal or financial information to strangers who contact and pose as IT specialists.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the rise of the internet has brought with it an increase in scams and frauds, with con artists continually coming up with new methods to target unsuspecting individuals. One such method involves targeting Google Calendar events and embedding phishing links within them, while another involves setting up fake Wi-Fi hotspots to gain access to personal data. Additionally, individuals may fall prey to phishing emails that appear legitimate, as well as receive threatening messages demanding payment or access to personal computers from unknown individuals claiming to be IT specialists.