What is an online charity scam?

Social media sites such as Facebook have a range of scams, one of the most recent being fake fundraising campaigns!

The scammers will make an emotional post, provide their banking details and add a couple of sad comments as well. The post will usually be a plea for help for a terminally ill child or to help an animal rescue organization.

New scamming groups appear every month, each with similar details and posts and even though they are shut down on a regular basis, people still fall for the scam and pay money to the scammers anyway.

How can you spot an online charity scam?

Age of the group. The fake charity group will only be a few weeks old and contain barely any posts, but they have been shared and reposted thousands of times. This is usually the first signs that the charity is a scam! A real organization or charity will take a long period of time to become established and there will be multiple posts as well as more information about the cause.

Pressure to feel pity. Using shocking videos and photos as well as lots of capitalized letters and exclamation points will pressurize you into acting quickly and spontaneously. A real charity will never resort to using these measures, because they are there to build relationships, on the other hand, scammers just want to raise money for themselves.

No supporting documentation. Scammer groups will have little to no medical reports or records to prove their cause or charity organization. And if they do have the documentation you should always read through it thoroughly to make sure the details are the same as the assistance they are asking for.

Responding to questions. It is not uncommon for people who are concerned about someone’s health or wellbeing to ask the people who created the group for information about the cause as well as updates on the situation. If the group is a scam these questions will be ignored, deleted or the user will be banned.

Websites. Sometimes links to a legitimate website for the charity or cause are posted in the group, this is how scammers will trick you into trusting them. This is to prove their legitimacy by showing they have a website presence. The website it links to often looks real, but be wary of inputting any of your personal information. Real charity foundations will always post how they spend the money they have collected, if not, you cannot trust that organization.

The desire to help others is great, but it is best to always stop and think first instead of acting impulsively.

For assistance and more information about online scams, please contact OSINT on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za

How to protect yourself from Catfishing

With the increase in social interactions being done online, there has been an increase in relationships that are being built over social media networks as well as apps such as Tinder, etc. Did you know that a recent study showed that 1 in 5 relationships began online?

If things continue like this then by the year 2040, almost 70% of people in the world will meet their significant other online via a social media network or an app!

Because everything is online these days, scammers have taken advantage of this opportunity to con those who are looking for love online. Catfishing is an online scam where someone creates a fake online identity for the purpose of starting a fake relationship and usually scamming people out of their money over a period of time.

Are you dating online or thinking about dating online?

The person is too good to be true – 

They are extremely rich, attractive and glamourous.

The relationship is moving unnaturally fast – 

They profess their undying love for you unusually early and try to rush the relationship along.

They can never meet you in person – 

They claim they are always on the road or something always comes up so they can never meet you in person.

Their social media presence is very vague – 

They have few friends and barely any photos and the photos they do have all look as if they may have been stolen.

Never give money out to someone you’ve met on the internet, even if you feel that you can trust them, do not let someone play on your desire for love!

What is an Online Shopping Scam?

An online shopping scam will usually include a scammer using a fake website or fake social media account/ store to trick you into buying something from them. The scam will usually also involve using fake adverts to try and lure victims in.

A scammer will try and use unbelievable deals and services such as shipping overnight and free delivery to trick victims into not thinking twice and just acting on instinct.

The goods that the scammer is offering are usually fake or you just never receive them. They will often ask you not to pay by card, but to use an EFT payment, gift card or cryptocurrency.

Not only that, but a scammer will try and trick you into giving out your personal information, such as your bank information, by asking you to fill in a form to finish the order or to sign-up.

Online shopping scams continue to increase every year, here’s how to spot and online shopping scam:

- You receive an email from an online store, but you cannot find any info about them such as their website and the link to the limited deal or offer looks fake.

- The deal is almost unbelievable and it is offered at an incredibly low price.

- There are other amazing services included such as free shipping and delivery overnight.

- The deal on offer always has a time limit.

- You are asked not to use your credit card to make the payment, but to rather pay using EFT, gift card or cryptocurrencies.

- If the online shop is on a social media network then there are almost no details or reviews that you can reference.

- You cannot find direct contact numbers on the website or no one responds to your enquiries.

- The online store website has noticeable spelling errors and does not look professional.

Always remember that if it looks too good to be true then it probably is!

The most popular Online Scams that everyone is falling for

As the internet expands so do the online scams and how sophisticated they are becoming.

What online scams all have in common is that they prey on your fear, greed, and ignorance – here are some of the most sophisticated online scams on the internet that everyone seems to fall for.

Phishing – One of the most popular scams out there is email phishing. Victims of phishing scams will be tricked into giving out their passwords through legitimate emails and seemingly trustworthy businesses. According to a recent study, nearly 100 000 attempts of phishing are reported each month.
Learn more about phishing scams here.

The Nigerian Prince Scam – One of the oldest online scams in the books is the Nigerian prince scam. You’ll receive an email from a Nigerian prince or investor offering you a chance of financial gain, the catch is you need to pay a small portion upfront or give out your private banking information.

Ticket Fraud – Victims of the ticket fraud scam will be tricked into buying fake tickets for popular sporting events, concerts, and other events. Often, the tickets will have forged barcode or be duplicates, while other times you’ll pay and never receive any tickets. Learn more about ticket scams here.

Celebrity Impersonators – Similar to phishing, online scammers sometimes like to pretend to be celebrities or influencers. The scam usually involves messaging victims and promising “gifts” if they click on a link.

Ransomware – Some of the worst scams involve ransomware. Hackers will install malware on your computer that blocks you from accessing your files, from there payment is demanded, often Bitcoin, in order for you to unblock your personal files.

GoFundMe Fakes – Another thriving online scam is using crowdfunding websites to take advantage of people’s generosity and can them into donating money for a fake fund.

Some of the most elaborate and sophisticated scams are doing the rounds on the internet right now, so always be on the lookout and use your common sense!

Want to know more about online scams as well as more about our Digital Forensics and OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) services? Contact us on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za | www.contact@tcgforensics.co.za. Alternatively, take a look at our website www.tcgforensics.co.za | www.osint.co.za 

What are Online Ticket Scams?

Online ticket scammers usually target various, popular events or destinations to try and take advantage or all the people who are desperately rushing and searching for tickets for buy.

Fake tickets for various events include:

- Concerts
- Conferences
- Plays
- Sporting events
- Live performances
- Shows
- Flight or train tickets
- Other special events

In general, all the tickets that these scammers sell are completely fake. Other times the tickets don’t exist, to begin with, so you pay but never receive anything.

Since 2015 online ticket scams have been increasing and occurring more often. Scammers have been having a field day because of all the popular shows and events that are happening these days.

Here are some tell-tale signs to lookout for:

- The prices are much higher than the regular ticket price OR the prices are suspiciously low.

- Before you buy tickets from a website, always check the contact details to make sure it’s legitimate.
- If the website URL doesn’t include “https” you’re most likely dealing with a scammer.

- If the seller requests a very specific payment for the ticket such as cash, a gift card or cryptocurrency, it’s most likely a scam.

- If they’re selling the tickets on social media, the language is stilted and it seems English isn’t their first language.

- Their social media profile includes no details, all their posts were made a couple of days ago and their friends were all recently added.

And obviously, if it feels like it is too good to be true then it probably is!

If you paid for fake tickets, contact OSINT immediately on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za. And we will do everything we can to assist you in getting your money back and catching the scammers!

How to spot a Social Media Scam

Social media has made it possible for people to interact with each other from all over the world – everyone knows what everyone else is doing, where they’re going on vacation, when they got married, etc.

However, social media networks have also made it possible for more users to become victims of scams. Over the last few years, social media scams have basically quadrupled with fake accounts popping up everywhere.

Don’t become the next victim of a scam – here’s how to spot, prevent and deal with social media scams:

- There is an ad or poster offering an amazing deal or job that sounds too good to be true.
- A job, prize or loan application asks you to pay upfront beforehand.
- A popular company uses a Yahoo or Gmail email account to contact you.
- You are urged to act immediately!
- They ask you to share your private information.
- You get a friend request from a “friend” but they ask you random questions or for money.

How to prevent social media scams from happening:

- Preventing social media scams is easy; all you have to do is use your common sense!
- Always think before you click on something.
- If it sounds dodgy or overly intrusive, ignore it.
- Never share your personal information on social media sites.
- Be wary when it comes to loan scams – here are the red flags to look out for.
- Never agree to pay for something upfront without being certain that it’s legitimate.
- Go through your social media privacy settings on a regular basis to ensure they haven’t changed.
- Never post any personal information about yourself that can be stolen and used to steal your identity.

If you’re a victim, here’s what to do:

- Shut down your computer and use a different device to change all your passwords immediately.
- Put out a fraud alert on your credit to stop any loans or lines of credit the scammer may try to take out.
- Call our OSINT division for professional assistance: 021 110 0422 | contact@osint.co.za
- Tell your friends so that they know about the scam and can avoid it if it pops up on their social media feeds.

Do not let the social media scammers bait and hook you – always be safe online!

The 7 Worst Social Media Scams

Cyber criminals are everywhere, they’re even terrorizing your social media news feed!

In this day and age your personal information such as where you go, what you do, who you chat to and what you like can be used as valuable data by cyber criminals. These cyber criminals will sell your private data to people who will use it to target ads, launch campaigns and other malicious operations.

You may be thinking to yourself, I’m only one person; no one is going to target me. Well, you’re very wrong! Should you fall victim to a social media scam it not only affects you, it affects your entire network of friends and contacts.

Make sure you know these common social media scams and avoid them as best you can…

1. Quizzes, Surveys & Contests. These scams are cute enough to make you think they’re completely innocent. And while you might think it’s all fun and games when they ask you your mothers date of birth or maiden name so you can see what Game of Thrones character you are, they are in fact getting information about you and your loved ones – do not click on these!

2. Clickbait. It’s almost irresistible to ignore that headline and not click on that unbelievable article, but the truth is it’s just bad actors doing a really good job at knowing what clickbait will tempt you. Should you click you’ll be redirected to where they want you to go, most of the time it’s to a fake login page where they can steal your information!

3. Cash Requests. Someone you know is desperately asking for money be aware that it could be someone who has hacked into their account and is not spamming every one of their friends, asking for money. Always double check with your friend if you receive a request for money on a social media website.

4. Short URLs. They save space, but criminals on social media sites are using these shortened URLs to trick you into clicking them and spreading virus, malware and so much more! Before you click on anything, check on http://www.checkshorturl.com/ to ensure it will take you to the official website.

5. Suspicious Friend Requests. This one is obvious, but whenever someone sends you a friend request always ask yourself, why? If you can’t think of a reason rather ignore the friend request. In today’s digital world, you can never trust the kindness of strangers, especially those on social media.

6. Double friend Requests. You have probably experienced this one before, you received a friend requests from a friend you already have and justify it as their new profile or a mishap and accept the request. Well, it’s not your friend; it’s a cybercriminal hoping you let them in!

7. Fake Emergencies. These “emergencies” will seem to be from a friend or the social media site itself informing you of something critically important on your account. Cyber criminals are hoping you’ll be a panicked state and enter your login details, giving them access to your private information. Never trust links within messages, posts, or emails.

The good news for you is that these scams are easy to spot and avoid, the bad news is that millions of users who are not tech-savvy will be innocent enough to fall for them!

Have you fallen victim? At OSINT, we will do what we can to assist you, call 021 110 0422, email contact@osint.co.za or learn more here www.osint.co.za