Online fraudsters are not taking a summer break. Here are some situations to watch out for – and the tricks to outsmart the fraudsters.
Don't rush – that's the main advice. Fraudsters want to put you in a stressful situation, so you'll make a quick decision, according to Lotta Mauritzson, crime prevention officer at the Police's National Fraud Centre.
If someone claims it's urgent and it involves money, you should back off immediately.
In the summer, it happens that you book holiday accommodation – that doesn't exist. Start by investigating how prices look in the area.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't, says Mauritzson and continues:
If you're buying something second-hand: what do people pay for this? Is it very cheap – then it's probably something that's not right. If you're selling something online and get much more money than you asked for, it doesn't feel reasonable. Then you should back off and think: it's one of the fraudsters' tricks.
Listen to your gut feeling
A text message comes from an unknown number. A family member is abroad, has lost their mobile and credit card – and needs money.
Try to contact the person in another way and double-check, says Björn Appelgren, educator at the Internet Foundation.
This also applies to other situations. If you receive a text message about being a victim of bank fraud – don't call the number. Double-check instead via another contact route, for example, via the bank's customer service.
Beware of fake websites
We can also be tempted by summer offers and deals. A text message from a company with a link can look genuine. But it's easy to fake sender names and numbers, so-called spoofing.
If you receive an offer from a store, then it exists if you surf into the site as well, says Appelgren and continues:
The fake websites that mimic other online retailers need to lead us there somehow.
Instead, you should Google the site you want to shop from. The fake sites are not high enough ranked in search engines. However, you need to be careful with sites that buy their way into the search results, according to Appelgren.
Avoid having too much money on your credit card when shopping online or abroad. Set up transfers as needed instead.
Have unique passwords on all services. They should be at least 15 characters and impersonal. Two-step login increases security.
Be cautious with links that redirect to another website.
Source: Internet Foundation
