New year, same problems, and even more professional. The move to 2025 does not take us away from the growing cyber scams that pose a real danger to anyone who owns a mobile phone or a computer and that has led to tragic outcomes in the security and finances of many users.
Prevention is better than cure, and that is what we are going to try to do so that you can get ahead and be aware of the main cyber scams that plague users at the moment. Most of them will seek to obtain your identity through fraudulent acts and, incidentally, your bank details, taking advantage of the user’s ignorance and good faith.
Despite the repeated efforts of institutions and organizations to inform users about digital security, technical support scams remain a real danger. The danger is that scammers pose as employees of multinationals such as Microsoft, Apple or your Internet service provider and “inform” you that your device has a serious problem of some kind.
Their method is based on providing you with malicious software that you will have to download and that will allow them to access your computer to solve it. Not content with the crime, they may even ask for remuneration for the services provided. The way to protect yourself is simple: never allow strangers to access your mobile or PC, nor pay for services that you have not contracted voluntarily.
Phishing scams
It is one of the crown jewels that cybercriminals turn to. This method is based on sending emails or SMS messages that, at first glance, come from an official body such as, for example, our bank. The appearance of the messages and the website we access are so well designed that it is very difficult to differentiate them from real operators. In this way, when you access your account, criminals obtain your personal credentials, such as passwords, emails or credit card numbers that you may have provided on said fake website.
If you receive a suspicious message on your mobile or email, never click on links or download attachments, and contact the agency directly through official channels to save yourself any trouble.
Fake job offers
Another need for anyone that cybercriminals exploit is the search for a job. Generally, they turn to employment platforms and social networks. There, they offer you a very attractive but credible job, but they ask for an advance payment for issues such as registration on platforms or courses available and mandatory for the worker.
Obviously, if you make the payment, the job offer and the company will disappear from the platform, so you already know what you should never do before agreeing to a legal employment contract.
Fake prizes and giveaways
Sweepstakes are a natural attraction for many people, and are another field of action for online criminals. With this method, scammers impersonate well-known and even famous companies to offer prizes or raffles of immeasurable appeal. The catch? A “registration fee” or personal information to access such a succulent reward. To avoid falling into the trap, memorize the pattern that we have been repeating throughout the article: you should never provide personal data on suspicious sites or make advance payments.
Online Shopping Scams
After phishing, it is the most common of all. Criminals create fake websites of online businesses that we all know, using very attractive prices for the products that are most in demand in different countries. The seriousness of this act lies in the fact that the product will never reach your home, and in addition, your bank account data is exposed to possible unauthorized expenses. Always keep in mind that, before buying online, the ideal is to verify the authenticity of the website and seek opinions from other users through the web portals dedicated to them, one that can serve you, with a long history and well known. It’s Trustpilot.
Fake cryptocurrency platforms
The emerging world of blockchain is not immune to cybercriminals either, and scams in the world of digital currencies have skyrocketed in recent times. To this, we must add that this economy by nature lacks control by governments and banking institutions, so detecting a scam has an added difficulty.
Every digital currency requires exchange platforms so that users can trade with them or convert the value of the currency into real money, and to do this, scammers have created fake cryptocurrency platforms that, supposedly, pay a higher value for the buying and selling of cryptocurrency… that never ends up in your bank account. To avoid this, go to known and legitimate platforms that can safeguard your transactions and forget about miracle remedies and promises of quick profits.
Although we cannot cover all the cyber scams lurking using digital media, we hope that these have helped so that you do not fall into the trap. Skepticism can be, in this case, your best defense.
