✔️ Information reviewed and updated in April 2024 by Pedro Martínez González
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How to be protected against financial scams? Easy Tips ✓
The rise of financial scams throughout the world it is a latent danger, as they are constantly growing and multiplying day after day. Fraudsters make use of advanced and credible methodologies using technology to deceive and steal money and/or personal data from thousands of people who fall into their trap.
Although the panorama seems bleak, there is much to be done at the level of self-protection and also to take care of those around us.
✓ Practical tips:
❌ Never access these types of situations:
- They get in touch (via telephone, mail, text message or social networks) without you having requested this information, service or call. Hang up immediately and not give the other person a chance to speak further.
- They inform him that he will have a lot to gain, a lot to lose (a great opportunity) and that this opportunity is unique and that it will not present itself in the future. All this, to invite you to deliver information or money as quickly as possible.
Eye! In reality, any serious company will always give you time to think about any purchase or investment option.
- They request data unexpectedly: They seem serious companies or even some may be companies or organizations with which you have or have had some kind of relationship, but they request additional information from you that they should not, such as: credit or debit card numbers, complete ID.
Remember: These data can never be requested by any type of institution and less financial, the only way is when you call directly and request advice or service.
- Request in a hurry or urgently to hire their services, to take a loan at the bank to be able to invest or participate in a business or to ask friends or relatives for money to enter as quickly as possible.
never do it! These unscrupulous people know that the more options they give you to stop and analyze, the fewer options they have to scam, so they will try to make everything happen as quickly as possible.
➔ Common cases of scams:
- From family or friends: people very close to you have access to your passwords, your financial information or your money and use it for their personal purposes. You always have to take care of the financial information and change passwords frequently.
- Call from someone in distress: Scammers pose as a friend or family member in a situation where you are in danger or need a large sum of money to avoid jail time, close a deal, or pay a friend who owed you money.
- Romance scams: the scammer or scammers begin to weave a trusting and sentimental relationship with a person, usually lonely. This contact is generated through a dating website, a dating app or social networks in general. The scammer tells you that he lives in another country or city so they will surely not see each other physically, uses photos that are not his or only see them on video. Suddenly, that person finds himself in a bind and urgently needs money (when he has already gained his trust), this will be requested by means of a transfer, his card data, sending cryptocurrencies. Then she asks for more, more until the person realizes that she is being deceived.
- Advance payment scams: Under this modality, they ask you to pay prize money or money of greater value that you are going to receive (which you never end up receiving). This is often related to lotteries, sweepstakes and unreliable investment opportunities.
- Prizes or contests: le they report that you have been the lucky winner of a contest or a prize (in which you did not participate) and they explain that in order to claim it you must pay taxes, customs or some amount to be able to claim your alleged prize. They usually ask for your bank account information or ask you to make a transfer. They also say that he can use gift cards because of his untraceability.
✓ What to do if you were a victim of a scam?
- Don't sit idly by its the first. There are associations or consumer protection agencies in this type of situation that can provide help and guidance.
- Consult with advisers trustworthy financiers or with your bank of invitations to invest to find out if they are legitimate or not.
- Talk to your bank as soon as possible, there are mechanisms to protect you as a bank customer and you could get your money back.
- Report to the proper authorities, can help many other people not to make the same mistake.
✓ How to take care of yourself and avoid being scammed?
- Do not trust any communication that comes to you that you have not requested. Do not answer messages from people you do not know, or calls.
- Check the web pages you visit, for example addresses that start with http without the (s), are not very secure, so you should not give your information there.
- Regularly change your passwords e-mail, bank accounts, amazon, gmail, etc. Don't use the same password for everything.
- Never agree to pay anything with gift cards, are one of the most used options by scammers.
- Do not accept services that you initially did not want to hire.
- do not accept prizes contests in which he did not participate.
- don't click on the links of web pages that tell you "CLICK HERE" or open emails from strangers.
- Find out about any company that requests information, calling you directly to the official numbers or on the official website.
- check the details: bad spelling, little technical knowledge, bad way of expressing himself.
Very good explanation, it has clarified my doubts and I have understood it perfectly! Thank you!!