NEW TREND: DIGITIAL SCAMMING

As if it wasn't enough with all these scams going on, for instance, the fake IRS scams, facebook scams or the fake bill collector scams now we have to deal with Digital scamming!  Really!  There are too many assholes with too much time on their hands with nothing better to do than to steal money from innocent Americans, who work hard to earn their much deserving money and now we have one more damm thing to worry about...but ok...here it goes:

Scammers are now using the latest technology to set-up fake retailers websites that look like genuine online retail stores.  They may use sophisticated designs and layouts, possibly stolen logos and even  falsified domain names.  These scammers may pose as genuine sellers and post fake ads for anything such as rental properties, used cars, boats, bikes and even horses.  They then advertise these items at a price much lower than the competition on the same website.  This is known as classified scams.
These scammers may also pose as genuine buyers and send you a notice (cheque) indicating that they paid more than the required payment for that item and want to be paid a refund for the difference. This is known as overpayment scams.

Here are a few things to look out for:
>Beware of bogus links and URL shorteners that may re-direct elsewhere.  Check the URL's by using     URLvoid. com for authenticity.
>Look for any discrepancies, poor grammar, misspellings, stored photos, low quality and poor resolution photos.
>Look at the address bar.  Does the link start with "https" instead of "http".  The "s" means the website is valid Secure Socket Layer installed (SSL), which is a method to ensure that the data sent and received is encrypted and the transaction is not intercepted.
>Look for the quality and contrast of the seal.
>Look for the company's representation if it seems sloppy or unprofessional.
>Most of all if it sounds too good to be true than most likely it isn't.

Here are a few things to avoid:
*Using the same password.
*Automatically filling in credit card details and home address when shopping online.
*Clicking right away on an offer found on social media.
*Agreeing to Terms And Conditions you never read. (5 years ago more than 7,500 online shoppers unknowingly "sold their souls" to Game Station, which was included in the Immortal Soul Clause that gave the company the right to claim your soul.)
*Connecting to free wi-fi from coffee shops.
*Buying anything on websites that do not provide complete information about that company.
*Giving any personal information then required to complete the transaction.  (ask yourself "Do they really need that information?" For instance, Date of Birth or Social Security number for delivering.)

Other things to consider:
<Shop online from well-known trusted websites and brands.  Go for online shops that are at least 6 months old.  (Personal information may be used to open new credit or loans.)
<Do some research and ask someone, who has more experience with the service of that company and search in social channels and forums.
<Make sure you are on a secured channel before submitting a payment.
   a) look for a closed padlock icon on the left side of the web address or the make sure the highlights on the address is green to confirm that the website is encrypted and the connection is secured.
   b) It is encourage to use a different e-mail address only for online shopping to avoid future spams, phishing, scams messages to your main e-mail address.
<When buying online, pay with a credit card instead a debit card because of its built-in protection programs, which shields from any kind of fraud, theft, un-authorized transactions, over-charging, ordering items that never arrived or payments for services that are never performed.
<Use a separate credit card for online shopping and only put money in that account when ordering.
<Put a security freeze on your credit report (for a small fee) to prevent from opening new accounts.
<Ask your bank to activate all security measures.
   a)Enable to stop transactions for approval.
   b)Turn on SIMS notifications for all transactions.
   c)Periodically monitor your bank account.
   d)Periodically change your bank password and immediately change it if hacked.
<If asked by the shop to store your credit information for future purchases, decline not to.
<Use a VPN (virtual private number) if possible.
If you have any doubts about a website, use your gut feeling or look up the website on Scamadvise.com for red flags.