![]() It’s reported that 1 in 5 relationships begins online. With an increase in social interaction online comes an increase in relationships that were built through social media. Verify the information by sending it to the Office of the Inspector General Hotline.Double check a service offered with other providers.How to Spot and Prevent a Healthcare Scam They require a fee on offerings that someone can get from Social Security, free of charge. These companies may have profiles that feature the Medicare logo to seem legitimate. These companies offer services such as a corrected social security card with the person’s married name, a social security card to replace a lost card, a social security statement or a social security number for a child. If prompted to download Adobe Flash, download directly from the Adobe site rather than the page you were directed to.Ī popular form of this is false medicare or social security ads.Be wary of gossip headlines and look at the source’s URL.Instead of downloading this program, it is a bot Trojan or other malware. When the person clicks, they are taken to a page that tells them to download the latest Adobe Flash. Be wary of giving sites your personal information, especially banking details.Īn ad like this might read, “Secret details about Michael Jackson’s death!” This type of scam plays on people’s fascination with celebrity news.Remember that you can’t win a lottery you never entered.How to Spot a Lottery or Free Gift Card Scam A ”lottery” post may require your banking information in order to wire you money, which they end up stealing from you instead. They could ask for your phone number to secretly charge you in data fees. When you click on them, you’re taken to a site that asks you to enter your information to claim your winnings. Oftentimes there are posts on social media claiming to give out free gift cards to popular stores like Starbucks, Target and the Cheesecake Factory or announcing that you’ve won the lottery. To help you identify common scams on social media and prevent them from occurring, we have an infographic on 10 social media scams and how to spot them. Scams might be common, but the techniques that scammers use can vary. In 2017, the Better Business Bureau reported 45,811 scams in the U.S., and in 2018 that number rose to 48,369 scams. Both individuals and businesses have lost over $100 billion due to internet fraud. There are many scammers on these social media channels. Whether it’s Facebook which has over 2 billion active users as of October 2018, Instagram with its 1 billion users or LinkedIn with its 590 million users, each platform offers a unique place to interact with friends, family and sometimes strangers.Īlthough these platforms allow us to connect with others, they can also pose a threat if we aren’t cautious. Look for inconsistencies or grammatical errors, and beware if the site only accepts payment through debit or Paypal.It’s no secret that people love social media. ![]() "Google the website yourself – never put in one you got off social media," Blankenship said.Īlso, do a reverse image search on the photos and see if they pop up anywhere else. But just because it is there doesn't mean you're in the clear. Websites will show a padlock next to the URL if the connection is secure. "Check and make sure there is a lock symbol," Blankenship said. Lauren Blankenship with the Better Business Bureau said the lookalike websites are probably the top scam. The URLS weren't the same, the contact for the fake site had an Outlook email address, and the word "address" wasn't spelled correctly. The similarities of the pages are incredible – same dresses, same models – essentially, the photos on the real site were ported to the fake site.Īfter getting scammed, she noticed a few suspicious differences. ![]() How did she fall for it? Turns out, she was duped by a fake site that has an uncanny resemblance. "I got this here – there are no orders with House of CB under this email address," David said. The UK-based retailer has a long list of celebrity customers, and she was excited when she found some stellar online Cyber Monday sales.Īfter purchasing the items, they never arrived, and that's when she reached out to the company. She was shopping on the House of CB website, and didn't think twice when she put her credit card info in. (WXYZ) - 7 Action News Reporter Ameera David works around the clock to keep you up to date on the top scams swindling metro Detroiters out of their hard -arned money, and that's why she was surprised when she missed the signs while shopping online and got swindled herself.
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