In the recent week, Google has shared six ways you can identify and avoid online scammers, as well as five ways Google is keeping you safe from scams. Google is continuing the momentum to respond to the significant rise in online scams in recent years by sharing 3 golden rules to help you spot and thwart these scams.
3 Golden Rules to Help You Spot Scams
- Slow it down
Scammers often create a sense of urgency so that they can bypass your better instincts. Take a moment to consider what is being asked of you to avoid being rushed into a bad situation.
Pop-up messages and email alerts around tech and devices can seem urgent. But first, ask yourself if there really is a problem – are you being asked to pay for services you don’t need, to fix a problem that doesn’t exist? Are you being asked to share sensitive information to keep an online account active?
- Spot check
Do your research to double check the details you’re getting. If you get an unexpected phone call, hang up. Then look up the bank, agency or organization that’s supposedly calling and get in touch directly.
In the case of an unexpected ‘lucky draw’, check online to see if such a contest or sweepstake actually exists. If there is no evidence, it’s likely a scam.
- Stop! Don’t send
No reputable person or agency will ever demand payment on the spot. Often, scammers tell you to go buy gift cards—which are meant only to be given as a gift, not as payment under threat.
The same rule applies for love scams. Watch out for sudden urgency. Even if the relationship has been built slowly over time, a scammer’s request for money can come on quite urgently.
That being said, scammers can get to the best of us, and so if you happened to fallen victim, file a police report immediately at your nearest local authorities. Check out Scam Spotter for more tips, and take this quick quiz to test your scam-spotting skills.