In the current period transactions on the internet have been one of the most popular trends. Thus, discounts coupons, gift cards lottery tickets or other prizes are widely utilized as a result of the current trend, consumers are becoming obvious targets. The ease of online application as well as the wide range of options offered by businesses and retailers as well as lesser protection for the buyer than regular credit cards, and the fact that the card’s function is lost when the amount of money it holds expires the same way as cash. This permits the fraudster to identify an account at a bank for payment. The reason discount coupons, gift cards lottery tickets or prizes are so popular with cybercriminals. Certain scammers make use of cards to lure users to divulge sensitive financial and personal details. In some instances fraudsters disguise themselves as officials seeking payments. In a report released by cyber-security company ESET It was revealed the threat actors had sold the purchase of 900,000 gift card worth $38 million through darknet sites “These cards were stolen from an online discount card shop called Cardpool and can be used by thousands of brands including AirBnB, Amazon, American Airlines, Chipotle, Dunkin Donuts, Marriott, Nike, Subway, Target and Walmart.” Recognizing the increasing popularity of websites offering customers gift cards for free lottery tickets and other prizes to popular companies like iTunes, Google Play, Amazon or Steam The criminals have decided to entice users with an easy algorithm. To obtain the fake website’s code users are required to select the option they prefer. The fraud mechanism is then activated into action. To get the generated message, the customer must to prove that they are not a fake. To prove it, the individual will need go to the designated URL and complete various tasks. The amount and type of tasks are decided by the network that it is directed. In the end, users are either unable to complete their tasks or are given code that isn’t working in any way. Criminals make money ranging between a couple of cents each click on a targeted link to hundreds of dollars per completed form or every member who takes part in paid services. Criminals therefore do nothing but earn money through the actions of users who visit web pages of their partners. Third-party partners have access to personal information that they may later make use of for various purposes.
What Are The Ways Scammers attempt to fool you?
Scammers will do anything to make you pay. Here’s how they attempt to fool you into believing you’ve won the prize.
- Scammers claim to be from the government even although they’re not.
Scammers pretend to be official. They want you to think you’ve won a government-controlled prize, sweepstakes, or giveaway. They create fake names, such as”National Lottery Bureau or pretend to be a legitimate agency such as that of the Federal Trade Commission. But, the government does not charge for these transactions.
- Scammers employ the names of businesses you’ve heard of.
Scammers could claim to be from reputable companies which run genuine sweepstakes. However, no legitimate company will reach out to you and request money so you can claim your prize.
- Scammers send you a text message (via text or email) to collect your personal data.
It is possible to be informed that you’ve won a prize such as an award of a voucher, gift card coupon or sweepstakes in an area store. It could be that you’ve won a prize from your local dealership, for example, an iPad or even an expensive new vehicle. Scammers require you to reply to them with your personal information, and click links that could reveal your personal information or download malware to your device.
- Scammers claim to be the sole prize winner. The same text or email was sent to a variety of recipients.
If the message was sent via mail, make sure you check whether the stamp is on your envelope, or the postcard. If the “report” was mass-posted, it’s likely that other recipients received the same message. For other types of messages you can check the internet to see whether others have received the same type of message.
- Scammers claim that you’ve won a lottery in another country or sweepstakes and that you are able to purchase tickets to one.
Information about apps from outside probably come from scammers. It is permissible for citizens of all countries to download apps in their home country. For instance, it’s illegal for anyone who is a US citizen to participate in the lottery in a different country, therefore don’t be apprehensive of anyone who solicits you to violate the law. If you are also offered an offer to play a lottery, giveaway, or sweepstakes from an international platform, be prepared for lots of offers of investment “opportunities” from fake apps. Also, there aren’t methods to win a international lottery, giveaways or sweepstakes. So don’t believe anybody who claims to that they can assist you in winning.
- Scammers insist on you to act immediately to receive reward. Scammers are urging you to rush and pay them or notify them.
They inform you that it’s a limited-time offer, or that you have to “act now” to claim your prize. They really don’t want to be able to assess the situation. Be patient – especially if they’re trying to get you to take action to gain a reward.
- Scammers will send you a check and demand that you return part of the check.
This is a fraudulent check fraud. If you make a deposit on your check with a fake, it might take a few weeks before the bank can realize that it is fake. In the meantime, the bank has to transfer the money to appear like the money was on your bank account. If, however, the bank realizes that the check was fake and they ask you to return the cash.
Experts identify five scams to look out for:
Beware of scammers who pose as an official. With this method, scammers disguise themselves as officials of an official of the government or service provider or some other company. The victim is then compelled to pay by stating the tax is not paid or a substantial invoice which must be paid in a hurry. The scammer then makes the victim make unthinking decisions, or thinking. The scammer then “hunts” the user. The payment is made using the card type specified by the scammer, however, it is important to note that neither a legitimate business nor government will accept payment through gift cards.
Bots could take your account balance. If malicious attackers directly attack accounts, they may be able to access your account electronically through the lottery or gift-giver. Cybercriminals steal the balance of cards or card information into the information systems for retailers as well as other companies via automated bots. According to studies, there is an estimated $15 billion in unused gift card accounts in the United States alone. Based on this study it is evident that gift cards could be an area that is susceptible to misuse.
The cards in the store could be altered via the internet. Scammers aren’t only on the internet. Sometimes, they visit gift card shops and get gift card numbers, and secret PIN code. Based on the kind of card, they could wait until the person is online to join and top-up the card prior to making use of the card online or making copies of the card to use in store.
Watch out to look out for “you’ve won an award” messages. They promise reward by saying that they’ve received various prizes from automobiles to vacations in untrue messages they send to victims. However, victims get deceived when they are told that they need to pay a small amount in order to claim the prize. However, there is no this kind of reward. The purpose is to duplicate banking and other personal information.
Phishing attacks can be designed to steal users’ personal information. Gift cards are often used by fraudsters to trick users into giving out personal details. A huge balance of gift cards is given to the person who received it by way of texts, emails, or other social media. To be eligible for this present, the person who is receiving it must provide financial and personal information. Anyone who falls for this could be targeted by fraudsters who use the information they have provided to sell their personal details or use for identity fraud.
To stay out of the web of hackers and losing your personal information The author suggests these rules of thumb:
- Keep in mind that there is no such thing as a free meal, and always be skeptical of offers that seem overly tempting.
- Make sure to verify for the HTTPS connection and the domain name before opening a site. This is particularly important when browsing websites that contain sensitive information like internet banking, e-commerce or e-mail, as well as social media sites.
- Do not share sensitive information like logins or passwords, bank card information with a third-party. Official organizations never ask for this information via email.
- Don’t share the links you find suspicious with your friends.
- Make sure to verify that the business actually offers gift vouchers. Also, check if the website has an affiliation with the company. To find out, you can call the official support line via the official website of the business.
- Make use of a strong security system that uses behavior-based anti-phishing techniques to stop phishing and spam attacks that stop fake giveaway, lottery, or sweepstakes websites.
