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upfront Fool Me once… We hear about it, we’ve experienced it, but do we know how to avoid it? Tech scams can happen all too easily... TYPES OF SCAMS FOREIGN LOTTERY SCAM “You have won...!” This is one of the most commong email scams, where you receive what looks like an official notification from a foreign lottery corporation, informing you that you have won a large sum of money. How To Avoid Being ScAmmed first, rememBer that scams do exist. Never access your bank website via a link. Never reply to an e-mail that requires you to enter personal information; threatens to close or suspend your account if you do not take immediate action by providing personal 36 COSMOPOLITAN jAnuARy 2017 ONLINE CREdIT CARd/ bANkING SCAM You receive an e-mail telling you your account is about to be deactivated, or that there has been a security breach of your account and you need to log in from the e-mail link to sort out the problem. ROYAL AFRICAN SCAM An e-mail from someone with an impressive- sounding name, such as ‘Sir Arthur Johnson’ or ‘Barrister McNally’ tells you that you’ve inherited a substantial amount of money from an uncle abroad you never knew you had, and all you need to do to access the funds is send money to cover the transfer costs. quIz SCAM You see a quiz on your friends Facebook profile asking ‘Which Friends character are you?’ and when you click on it, you have to enter your cellphone number. You may find a monthly fee added to your cellphone bill at the end of the month. whose account has been hacked posts a link on your page, with a message such as ‘OMG! Is this a naked picture of you?’ and so you click on the link that takes you to a login page. When you log in, you could be giving a cybercriminal your details. SuSPICIOuS PhOTO SCAM Your friend on Facebook PhIShING SCAMS There are many forms of this scam. For example, you receive an e-mail or SMS asking you for instant online verification so you can get a SARS tax refund, or asking you to confirm your banking details to register for security n software update. information; states your account has been compromised and asks you to enter or confirm your account information; asks you to enter your banking user ID, password and account number; or asks you to confirm, verify or refresh your account, credit card or address details. or SMSes, you could be the victim of a SIM-card swap. Call your service provider immediately. Choose your passwords with tremendous care. Birthdays and such are easy to guess. Regularly check your bank statements and online banking history. If something seems too good to be true, it usually is! If an e-mail or SMS has a spelling mistake or poor grammar, it is usually a scam. Never disclose personal information unless you know and trust the person you’re dealing with. Always be aware of your cellphone status. If you suddenly stop receiving calls Do not open suspicious texts, pop-up windows or emails. Delete them. Question everything. Rather be safe (and annoying) than sorry! FOR MORE GREAT STORIES, VISIT cOSMO.In B eing scammed via e-mail, cellphone or any other form of tech is at best a nuisance, at worst a disaster. Here’s what to look out for so you don’t become another broke statistic.