Apps Can Help You Avoid Getting Scammed

Discussion in Scams = To Good To Be True started by Denis Hard • Jul 13, 2015.

  1. Denis Hard

    Denis HardWell-Known Member

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    Not long ago, I accidentally landed on a phishing website. I realized I was on the wrong site when I noticed that instead of asking me for my username I was expected to enter my credit/debit card number. Had a look at the URL and saw that the I'd typed in the wrong address.

    Since it's relatively easy to find yourself giving away your debit/credit card numbers or even passwords of your online accounts to the bad guys, to stay safe download store-specific apps. You'll go straight to the right website each time.
     
  2. MyDigitalpoint

    MyDigitalpointActive Member

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    What you expose here is really a good advice, but I would add that such apps must be downloaded from the site someone is planning to buy from, of following the official on-line links, even if they lead to external sites, usually to Google Play Store/Apple Store for mobile devices or Microsoft Store for Windows mobile or Windows-based computers, or Mozilla/Chrome webstores for browser-related apps regardless the system.

    Scammers are so sophisticated, that may offer counterfeit apps of legit apps on random sites or download sites just to keep pulling in personal information.
     
  3. Denis Hard

    Denis HardWell-Known Member

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    Great tip, MDP. Scammers are very smart and their desire to steal from unsuspecting shoppers could have them create a counterfeit app which [can make them a lot of money] if downloaded from one of their sites or many of those file sharing sites.

    When downloading apps, choose the site where you get them from wisely.
     
  4. Lushlala

    LushlalaWell-Known Member

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    Thanks a lot to both you Denis and MyDigitalpoint! This is something very handy that I've never actually done but will be sure to from hereon in. Just last week I had a bit of a scare where money disappeared out of my account. Luckily I badgered the bank until they put back every single penny of it. It's never nice to be put in that position!
     
  5. Denis Hard

    Denis HardWell-Known Member

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    Just curious, Lushlala. Was the money taken out of your account by someone who somehow managed to get your debit card number?

    Anyway you are lucky you noticed that money had been transferred from your account before it was too late. Set some alerts so anytime someone touches your money you'll get the text alert and call the bank immediately.
     
  6. Diane Lane

    Diane LaneWell-Known Member

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    This is a really good point, and it brings up a question I had the other day. If you download legitimate free apps from the stores (Google Play or iTunes), they often, if not always, have popup ads in them. I assume the company screens the apps they sell or even place in their stores, since we all seem to trust them to be legitimate apps, but do the companies (Google/Apple) also screen the popup ads, or do we have to worry about clicking on them?
     
  7. Denis Hard

    Denis HardWell-Known Member

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    Sure some ads can get get screened but most of them aren't.

    Scammers can pay for ads and their ads will be displayed until someone who's been ripped submits a complaint. So I suppose those who use apps must be careful. How do you tell if an ad is legit or merely appears to be legit? Best not to click on any of the ads.
     
  8. Corzhens

    CorzhensWell-Known Member

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    When I shop online, I always use the computer because it is difficult to see the pictures of the items on the small screen of the phone. But generally, I am careful in thoroughly checking the site before I key in my credit card. I understand that there are so many scam sites in the internet and it's real scary to lose money by being careless.
     
  9. DreekLass

    DreekLassWell-Known Member

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    I don't know, with some of the applications that I have downloaded with pop-up ads in them, I am always taken back to Google play store? I am never taken to a website when I accidentally miss the exit button on these ads, or when I touch on them unintentionally. But that might just be the way that my tablet's settings are set up?
     
  10. Dora M

    Dora MWell-Known Member

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    I've come close to losing money online a few times. That's when I decided to use prepaid visa cards. I figured that if I was going to get scammed in some way, I would only lose a small amount of money, instead of suffering from major losses. I've been sticking with this method for a number of years now. I only ever use $100 or $200 prepaid cards when I shop online.
     
  11. Diane Lane

    Diane LaneWell-Known Member

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    I was just reminded of a time when I was trying to pay my gas bill online. I didn't have the bill handy, and typed in what i thought was the site, but it turned out to be some other site. I didn't even realize until it said it didn't recognize my user name and password, which isn't unusual, since I have a really bad memory and this happens quite a bit, but thankfully, it was a legitimate site, albeit not one I had a need for.
     
  12. Ke Gordon

    Ke GordonWell-Known Member

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    Wow, good words of caution there. There are some fake sites that do look much like real ones, so care is needed in order to see that you are on the right site. It is just one of the things that you really have to look at and make certain that you have the sites that fit your needs and that you were seeking. It is just a way to save money and not give your hard earned cash to scammers.
     
  13. Lushlala

    LushlalaWell-Known Member

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    Not sure why I'm only seeing this now, @Denis Hard! I'm so sorry, I wasn't ignoring you. I actually have a phone alert mechanism set up, which is how I initially found out. To cut a long story short, it doesn't look like it was anything to do with some opportunistic criminal who'd somehow got hold of my debit card number. It appears it was something the bank was doing internally. So shoddy is their service that although I did eventually get every penny back, I never actually got a full explanation as to where my money had disappeared off to in the first place!

    Which makes me wonder, had I not noticed and got on their case, would I have got the money back? Plus, I can account for every single penny that comes and goes out of my account, so as they were reeling off a few figures I was able to tell them definitively that they were quoting the wrong figures. I made it known that they could never trick me out of a single penny, and that if they were tying to pull some funny stunt, they'd be best off trying elsewhere LOL Cheeky sods! They did finally put it all back in my account, though.
     
  14. DreekLass

    DreekLassWell-Known Member

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    Since my time spent on hacking forums, I know that many hackers who are trying to phish important security information from you, will use a template website, and to those who are not really paying attention, they will be able to fool people into believing that the url that they have created is the same as the legitimate site's url. They will usually change only one letter in the url address, and most people will miss it so I always check the address bar.
     
  15. Vinaya

    VinayaActive Member

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    In my computer or on smartphone/tablet, I bookmark the website that I frequently visit. Bookmarking helps me from the frustration of typing the web address. On my handheld device, I also download apps of the website that I regularly use. I have antivirus installed on my computer and hand held devices which immediately informs me if the site I am going to check is malicious or phishing.
     
  16. Ke Gordon

    Ke GordonWell-Known Member

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    I think some of the worst ones are PayPal spoofs, which usually begin with something like "Dean Customer, or words to that effect." PayPal if they are trying to contact you, and they usually don't unless you have contacted them first, will refer to you by name. The other scam that I always seem to get is mystery shopping jobs. They always want all your information, so they can withdraw money from your account, or they will use it to sell to other scammers. Be aware of unsolicited emails in general folks.
     
  17. Krissttina Isobe

    Krissttina IsobeWell-Known Member

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    Thanks for the very good tips and I got one more...microsoft has security essential download for free which is an anti spy & anti virus too. I found out a site check too called Norton site check. All you have to do is get the url and plug it into the site check area and click to see if the site is safe. If there is anything to report you can go to ic3.gov to report the scammers too! Thanks for the valuable information everyone!