Internet traps types. Internet - dangers Traps that await inexperienced Internet users

The Internet is often called not only the World Wide Web, but also the global cesspool.

In addition to useful and necessary things, here on every corner they try to deceive us in one way or another.

For inexperienced users, traps lie in wait here and there. We tell you how to recognize them, and what to do if you do get hooked.

Extortionists and beggars

The number of different PC malware numbers in the millions. Moreover, if just 10 years ago they were created primarily from hooligan motives (for example, the famous “Chernobyl” disabled computers so that they would not turn on after that), now they the main objective- your wallet.

The most primitive option is “beggars” who block work on the computer, requiring you to enter a password to unlock it. To further intimidate, a message is displayed on the screen stating that you need to pay a fine for viewing prohibited porn or something similar, otherwise the computer will be blocked forever and the files will be deleted. Or rather: “deleted forever” - the literacy of the authors leaves much to be desired, because such programs are created, as a rule, by schoolchildren, using ready-made constructors, where you only need to enter your message.

A classic ransomware Trojan blocks your computer's operation

Much worse are the more serious “beggars” that encrypt the contents hard drive, making your files inaccessible: this is a real kidnapping for ransom and the amounts required are large: up to several thousand rubles. If you can get rid of a regular blocker, as a last resort, by reinstalling the OS, then there is a chance to forever lose the fruits of many years of work: they will remain on the disk, but it will be impossible to decrypt them.

If in the previous two cases you can decide for yourself whether to pay or not pay, then the so-called “banking Trojans” steal money from your card without your knowledge, intercepting logins and passwords from the Internet bank. Even two-factor authentication via SMS does not help: modern Trojans can install one of their parts on your smartphone when you connect it to a USB port to charge or copy photos. After this, you do not see an SMS from the bank; they go straight to the criminals and they calmly empty your account.

Protection methods

Because viruses exploit security holes operating systems, you must, firstly, constantly install all updates and not disable the built-in security system. For Windows 10, this is often enough, but for inexperienced users, an additional antivirus will not hurt - the main thing is that it is also constantly updated.

Trojans are always installed manually. Therefore, no free tanks", downloaded from forums, no "cracks for Photoshop" and "office activators" downloaded from forums, file hosting sites and other dubious resources.

Yes, we understand that free software is very attractive and we will not convince you that you must buy all programs, even if you only need it once for five minutes. But, firstly, there are trial versions, secondly, there are torrent trackers with a “karma” system for the authors of distributions (download what the “gurus” post), thirdly, everything downloaded must be checked with an antivirus.

You'll need nerves of steel to deal with the Trojan

Fakes and subscriptions

Fakes also lie in wait for you when you try to download something. For all popular queries, the Yandex and Google results are littered with search spam, therefore, by entering something like “Watch Game of Thrones online for free” or “Download torrent”, on the first five pages you will receive links to the so-called “doorways” that match your search query .

This is a bot that collects a database of phone numbers of potential victims of mass calling

The transition to such a doorway ends in the same way: you are offered to download what you were looking for, but under some far-fetched pretext (for example, “spam protection”, or “prove that you are not a robot”, enter your mobile phone number. On it is sent an SMS with a code that must be entered on the site - it would seem that the usual two-factor authorization.

In fact (and this is written two screens below in small print in light gray on white) you agreed to subscribe to a paid service with payment from your mobile account, the subscription fee is about 20 rubles per day.

Fake services also fall into this category: for example, “pedigree analysis”, “person search”, “diet selection” and even “satellite location of any subscriber”: here they will also charge you money in the form of a subscription or one-time per SMS, but in the answer you will receive is not at all what you expected, but a copy-paste from Wikipedia or a certificate stating that +7921 is the North-Western branch of MegaFon.

Protection methods

You can really download something for free only on specialized closed forums (if you don’t know them, then first consult with knowledgeable people), or on large torrent trackers. However, wherever you find the download link, do not enter your phone number or send SMS to short codes. You are being scammed!

You can check whether a particular service is “fake” by entering obviously non-existent data. If a person named Tsyuyyy and last names Lbbbbbb from the city Zhzhzhzhzh“successfully found in the database” and all that remains is to “pass verification”, close the browser window. Fake services always first create the illusion of “one step away from the result.”

Once your number is included in the database, you will not be able to get rid of annoying calls

Protection methods

It is best to download drivers from the manufacturer’s website, and get cracks for the software in the same place where you downloaded the software. It’s quite simple to identify a scam: try downloading two or three completely different ones on a website with “drivers” or “cracks”, just don’t open them after downloading. If this is a fake, then in your “Downloads” folder you will have three files of the same size, but with different names. If you have already picked up nasty things, download Ad-Aware, this utility is designed specifically to combat “harmful” software.

This is what happens if you install all sorts of browser add-ons uncontrollably

Phishing

Phishing (from English. phishing) is an attempt to collect certain data on fake sites that look the same as real ones. Most often, attackers are interested in logins and passwords from postal services and social networks, as well as banking services. They are also very fond of credit card data: by collecting it, they can subsequently organize a debit of funds unexpectedly for the victim.

Previously, scammers simply registered domains that were visually no different from the usual ones, for example, vkontatke.ru or mai1.ru - many still fall for such tricks. However, with the help of viruses and Trojans, and even a more serious attack on, say, a router, you can replace DNS records and make it so that when you type the correct address, a fake site with a different IP opens (most often this is done through the hosts file).

“Sberbank-Online” is most often counterfeited; file hosting sites are full of patched versions that steal data

also in Lately The collection of personal data through “chatbots” has become widespread. As soon as you go from a search to a medical or legal site, a chat window appears in the corner, and a “specialist” writes to you: “How can I help you? My consultation is free."

Whatever you type in the response, you will receive a message: “Thank you, I will have an answer ready within 5-10 minutes,” followed by: “To avoid waiting, leave your name and number, I will call you back with the answer.” Once you do this, your number will receive a flurry of calls from salesmen and swindlers of all stripes, who know that they can take you lukewarm. Naturally, no one will read your question: your data will simply be sold to law firms and sellers of dietary supplements, cosmetic procedures and miracle water filters. However, this is a completely offline story...

Protection methods

Pay close attention to the addresses in your browser bar. Don't leave your contact information anywhere. Ask “specialists” right away: “What is two and two?”, the bot will still think and ask for a phone number.

We all learn to analyze - consciously or unconsciously - the language and intonation of other people's bodies. Research shows that about 60% of the time we communicate, we pay more attention to a person's body language than to what they are actually saying. We use this information to make inferences about how truthful a person is. These findings have great importance, helping us avoid falling victim to scammers or someone trying to manipulate us. But fraud and deception are a threat not only in real life. The range of virtual scams has increased significantly on the Internet over the past few years. This means we must find a new approach to assessing possible threats. By email or in social networks there is no body language or intonation, only text and graphics. Does this mean we can no longer rely on our intuition?

However, the Internet offers other aspects that can compensate for the lack of intuition. In order to work on the World Wide Web, we must know what not to miss. This article first focuses on some common examples and explains how you can protect yourself. The information is aimed at those who are new to the Internet, but perhaps the examples given will help Internet experts learn something new.

Classic email threats

If you're new to the internet, the first thing you're probably going to do is create an email account. Moreover, most likely you will want to communicate with friends and relatives, buy things on the Internet, register on forums or on social networks. And for this you need a correct email address. Unfortunately, your email inbox may be filled with unwanted messages.

Up to 89% of all emails can be classified as spam. These are messages that you did not request and that offer cheap loans, discounts on Viagra and wide range other products and services. These offers may not be considered legitimate and the messages will contain links to websites that are infected with viruses. You should delete messages without reading them, and then they will not be able to damage your computer. The only thing you will lose is time to remove them.

The Internet is often used as entertainment. There are many websites dedicated solely to funny articles, images and videos. We all love a little distraction, and attackers often take advantage of this. Sometimes messages come with intriguing content, like: “Look a funny video! or " Funny Pics! But you should not be tempted to open the file attached to the letter. There is a 99.99% chance that this file will contain malware that can damage data stored on your computer or spy on your online activities.

Phishing

Probably one of the most known species Internet scam is phishing. You have received an email that asks you to click on a link and enter some personal information. This could be a password, bank account number, etc. It may look like the request came from your bank, a payment system such as PayPal, etc. However, no matter how convincing this message may look, it is a fake. If you click on the link and enter the requested information, attackers may obtain your information for their own gain.

Many banks use additional security measures to prevent phishing attempts. However, this does not mean that this type of fraud is used less. It simply changes to keep up with the times. Phishing emails use colors and logos to imitate a well-known bank or financial institution. Such a letter is sometimes difficult to distinguish from the real one. But it will most likely contain many spelling and grammatical errors. Additionally, emails that begin with “Dear Customer!” rather than your actual name are a clear indication of a phishing attempt.

Legitimate banks never ask for PINs, TAN numbers or other sensitive information, and certainly not via email. Some phishing emails of this type threaten account closure because it has supposedly not been used for some time. To save your account, the message says you must log in, and of course, an easy-to-use link is provided in the email. If you click on it, you will see a page that may look very similar to the real site, but it is not true. You should never use links in emails that lead to a page that asks you to enter sensitive information. If you are unsure of the authenticity of the letter, call the company and ask them to resend the message.

Shareware

Imagine that you are browsing websites. Suddenly a message pops up that your computer is infected with viruses. The message also says that you can download a new antivirus program that will solve your problem. And this program is free! This may seem strange, because you have software to protect your computer. But you download and install this program. Then you run it to scan the machine for malware. And suddenly the antivirus displays a message that viruses have been found, but they can only be removed in the full version of the product costing from €30 to €80. Naturally, this is a scam. In the case of shareware, the software will frequently display messages informing you that your machine is infected.

Even your wallpaper can change clothes to remind you of an infection (which, remember, doesn't actually exist). Cybercriminals make money by selling licenses for this fake security product. In addition, such fake software often includes the ability to access your machine and personal data, which can turn your computer into a zombie machine that can be used to send huge amounts of spam. So what should you do? Make sure you have reputable virus software. If you start seeing a message asking you to buy software, don't be alarmed, and certainly don't buy the product offered.

The danger of hidden subscriptions

Freeware—software that you don't have to pay for—is available for almost any purpose. Let's say you are looking for some kind of program for office purposes - word processing, spreadsheets, etc. You launch a search engine and find what interests you. However, before you can download what you want, the site requires you to register by entering your name, address, and email address. By completing all fields, you will activate a checkbox indicating that you agree to the terms.

Naturally, you don't read these terms. A moment and you happily download the desired program. But some time later you will receive an unpleasant shock in the form of a letter demanding that you transfer €96. You have accepted the terms of the agreement and if you do not comply with them, then you will be sued lawsuit. It is believed that between 10 and 20% of victims may pay. However, you should not allow yourself to be intimidated by these types of threats. This type of scam tries to extract money by preying on people's fear of the law. Most likely, the threat has no legal force.

Fraud on social networking sites

Young people are very attracted to social networks such as Facebook or MySpace. But there is also a danger of falling for scammers. Suppose close friend asks you for help, you'll probably say yes right away. Now let’s transfer this situation to a social network. A friend sends you a message saying that he was stuck at the airport, was robbed, or was threatened. Now he has no money, cell phone or credit card. He asks for $400 to be transferred to him using Western Union so he can return home. But what really happened? This type of scam is very popular nowadays. The explanation is quite simple: Internet scammers gained access to account your friend on a social network and are trying to get money from all his contacts. If you receive such a message, try calling this friend or his relatives. It won't be surprising if it turns out that your friend is fine.

Cybercriminals are a creative and constantly adapting bunch. Nowadays, many people know not to click on a link in an email from an unknown sender. However, when the scammers' approach was adapted to messages sent through social networking sites, the number of people clicking on such links increased dramatically. A few years ago, a website's design could make it clear that it was fake. Now attackers have become much smarter and more sophisticated. If you suspect fraud, use search engines to find Additional information. If there were precedents, then one of the victims would definitely write about it. Finally, use common sense. A healthy dose of skepticism wouldn't hurt here.

1. Introduction

From the early childhood we learn to analyze - consciously or not - the gestures and intonation of other people. Studies have shown that in about 60% of cases we pay more attention to a person’s gestures than to his words, and use the information received to assess how truthful the speaker is at the moment of speech.
We need this in order to avoid becoming victims of deceivers and scammers and other people who try to manipulate us. However, deception and fraud pose a threat not only in real life - recently there has been a significant increase in the number of various Internet threats.
This means that when assessing potential danger a new approach is needed - emails and messages from friends on social networks are devoid of gestures and intonation, and here we can only rely on text and images. Does this mean we can no longer trust our intuition?
This would seem to be the case, at least at first glance. However, the Internet provides other opportunities to compensate for the lack of intuition; however, in order to take advantage of these opportunities, we must know what to watch out for.
Cybercriminals and scammers are unlikely to reinvent the wheel, so once you encounter a scam or malware and understand exactly what it is, you can use that information in the future.
In this article we will look at some typical examples and suggest protection methods. First of all, the article will be useful for newcomers to the Internet, however, perhaps the examples given will also be of interest to regular Internet users.

2. Classic email threats

3. Phishing

Perhaps one of the most well-known types of fraud is phishing. You receive a message in which you are asked to follow the specified link and enter personal information: password, bank account number, etc.
The message may look like it came from a bank, eBay online store, payment system such as PayPal, etc. No matter how convincing the message may look, it is still a fake: if you click on the link and enter the requested information, your data will end up in the hands of cybercriminals, who can use it for their own purposes.
Many banks have taken additional security measures to prevent phishing attempts, resulting in fewer phishing messages targeting the most popular banks. However, this does not mean that this type of fraud is no longer used - it has just changed in accordance with the trends of the times.
Phishing messages are a global phenomenon: the same basic text is translated into different languages, and the message itself is designed to look like it is from a well-known bank or financial institution.
Fraudsters put a lot of effort into the design of messages, and it is often difficult to distinguish the logos and colors used in them from the original. On the other hand, the text is often replete with grammatical and spelling errors, which should immediately alert the user.
In addition, if the sender of the message addresses you as “Dear Customer” instead of calling you by name, then this is a clear indicator of phishing. Now that even newsletters can be personalized, it is very unlikely that the sender of a legitimate message will not use your name in the message.
Lastly, legitimate banks never ask for a PIN, Transaction Authorization Number (TAN) or other sensitive information, especially not through email.
As we have already said, not only banks can suffer from phishing attacks. Recently, many phishing messages are sent to collect information about accounts on electronic payment systems such as PayPal or auction sites such as eBay.
Phishing accounts for 0.94% of all spam messages, and a whopping 60% of these messages are aimed at PayPal. Such messages often contain threats that the account may be closed due to the fact that it has not been used for some time.
In order to save your account, you are asked to log in. And for this, of course, the letter helpfully provides you with a link. When you click on the link, you are taken to a page that looks like the website of the corresponding payment system, after which you are asked to enter your login and password.
Despite its similarity to the original, such a website is fake. Never use links received by email to pages where you are asked to enter confidential information.
Use bookmarks in your browser or enter the address yourself in the address bar of your browser. Even if the link appears to be correct, a javascript script running in the background may open an address that is completely different from what is displayed.
Even better than the original? Fake eBay site used for phishing:
If you are unsure of the legitimacy of a message, call or write to the relevant company and find out if they sent you a message.
However, if you want to contact the company via email, do not respond to a dubious message: go to the company's website and use the contact information provided.
In this case, your request is guaranteed to be sent to its intended destination, and not to a fake return address used by scammers or spammers.

4. Who wants to become a money launderer?

In the current economic situation, many are in search of work, so information about vacancies is never superfluous. Suppose you receive a job offer by email in which you are promised good salary for working from home with minimal time and effort.
Even if you already have good job, an additional 1500-2000 euros per month definitely looks attractive. What needs to be done for this? All you have to do is receive money from account A and transfer it to account B via Western Union, minus a certain amount that remains for you as a commission.
Unfortunately, if something looks too good and simple, then there is some kind of catch to it. The money you are asked to transfer was obtained through phishing or other fraudulent means; Your role is to become part of the intricate chain through which money flows to scammers.
This makes it difficult to find the criminals, but the transaction you made is completely transparent. By making such transfers, you become a so-called “money mule”, guilty of money laundering or complicity in criminal activity.
If you are caught, you face a large fine and possibly criminal prosecution. Let us repeat once again that such messages should simply be deleted, no matter how tempting the offer may seem.

5. Fake antivirus programs

Imagine this situation: You are browsing websites to find a new background image for the desktop on your computer. Suddenly a message appears on the screen stating that your computer is infected with 527 Trojans, viruses and worms.
This may seem strange to you, because you have a security program installed on your computer, and it did not react to the threats in any way. Perhaps it doesn't work well? Or did I miss something?
Having recovered from the shock, you re-read the message again. You are told that you can download new antivirus software that will help solve your problem.
And the best thing is that the program is completely free! With a sigh of relief, you decide to take advantage advantageous offer and install new software.
After running a manual scan, the program detects even more viruses on your computer. This time you have a different message: to remove malware you need full version product to be purchased.
When you quickly browse the site, you see prices ranging from?30 to?80. Because antivirus program, which was already installed on the computer, has failed you, you hope for the newly found “wonderful solution”, pay for it and click on the “Disarm” link. It seems that this time all the threats have disappeared... But is this really so?
This type of fraud has been known for a long time - criminals take advantage of the user’s fears that the computer is seriously infected. Fake antiviruses can act in different ways.
Most often, while working on the Internet, the user sees a pop-up window that seems to be checking the computer’s hard drive. Then a message appears about a certain number of malicious programs found on the computer (the number is selected at random).
A slightly less common approach is called "drive-by downloading": you browse an infected site and the unwanted software ends up on your computer. In the case of fake antiviruses, the program displays messages at short intervals indicating that your computer is infected.
The background image on your desktop may even change to remind you of the infection (which, as we remember, actually does not exist).
Changing it back is not so easy; The option has disappeared from the settings menu, and while other methods exist, they require more advanced technical skills than most people have. Thus, it turns out that the software that at first seemed like a “miracle solution” is in fact completely useless.
Fake antivirus program:

But fake antiviruses bring obvious benefits to cybercriminals, who profit from the sale of “licenses” for fake security programs.
In addition, fakes often contain real malware, which can be used to gain access to your computer, steal your personal data for further resale, or turn your computer into a zombie machine and send out huge amounts of spam.
And while it may not seem like a particularly lucrative business, spammers often pay a lot of money to purchase or rent these computers to ensure that their messages are sent out in large numbers, which is another way for cybercriminals to make money.
Fraudsters try their best to make the program's virus detection messages convincing and make the program look like a genuine antivirus solution.
In addition, such programs often have names that closely resemble the names of legitimate security applications. All this helps to make the fake look like the original and fool even quite experienced Internet users.
What to do? Make sure that you have a reliable antivirus program installed on your computer. If you see such messages, do not be alarmed and, of course, do not buy the software offered. Use the antivirus program already installed on your computer to perform a full system scan.

6. Be careful: hidden subscription!

Today, you can find free software for almost any purpose. Everyone can choose something for themselves: games, player programs, instant messaging clients, etc., and there are quite a lot of sources from which these programs can be downloaded.
Let's say you're looking for new office software - word processing software, spreadsheets, etc. You enter a query, and search system issues a large number of options.
However, before you can download everything you need, you are asked to register and provide your name, address and valid email address.
And although this seems a little strange to you, nevertheless, you have heard about portals where registration is necessary in order to download files at maximum speed.
Thus, experiencing a certain irritation, but feeling like an experienced user who has experience registering in various online stores, social networks and forums, you enter the required information in the appropriate fields of the form.
You quickly check the box confirming your agreement to the terms of service, without bothering to read them, because “actually it always says the same thing.” And within a couple of minutes you happily download the desired program.
However, you will soon receive an unpleasant surprise in the form of an email demanding payment?96. It turns out that by agreeing to the terms, you have signed up for support services for 2 years. And if you don't pay, you'll be sued.
This type of scam is especially popular in Germany. It is estimated that between 10 and 20% of victims actually pay this money.
However, you should not give in to threats of this kind. In this case, scammers are trying to extort money from you by playing on your law-abiding behavior.
In the end, you yourself know that you did not read the terms of the contract (perhaps for the reason that you would not have understood them anyway or had never heard of any negative consequences before).
And if you receive such an email, do your research first: try searching the Internet for descriptions of similar cases or call a lawyer. Most likely, the threat has no legal basis and will remain just a threat, since cybercriminals are happy with the money they receive from 10-20% of victims.

Social networks such as Odnoklassniki, VKontakte, Facebook or MySpace are especially popular among young people. These sites allow you to keep in touch with friends, exchange information, and also find new friends.
Let's say that your close friend asks you for help. Most likely, you will immediately agree to help. Now let’s transfer this situation to the context of a social network.
A friend sends you a message saying he's stranded at London Heathrow Airport, threatened at gunpoint and robbed. He is left without money, a credit card or a plane ticket and asks for $400 to be sent to him via Western Union so that he can get home.
You may be asking yourself why money needs to be transferred through Western Union? A friend claims that this is the only way for him to get them.
You ask how to call him, but, of course, his phone was stolen. More and more suspicions creep into your mind - your friend is behaving strangely and using expressions that you have never heard from him before.
Perhaps the reason for this is a difficult situation which he fell into. Since you are not indifferent to the fate of your friend, and you do not want to be tormented by remorse, you end up transferring money. And after that he disappears.
What actually happened? Currently, this type of fraud is very popular and effective, since relatively little is still known about it.
The explanation is quite simple: cybercriminals gain access to your friend's account and try to extract money from everyone on his contact list.
However, in the case described above, there are signs of attempted fraud. A European in London is unlikely to ask another European to send American dollars.
The same applies to the language and expressions used. If you receive this message, contact your friend directly.
Even if in the message he writes that he mobile phone stolen, try to dial his number anyway: You will be pleasantly surprised when he picks up and not only can you chat with him, but you will also find out that he did not send any message.
Typically, the user is asked to choose from only three “secret questions” general type, for example, such as your name pet or the name of your first school. If you have included this information in your profile or on your page, getting to your account will be a breeze.
In addition, do not fall for scammers who send phishing messages (described above) and use a modern antivirus with up-to-date anti-virus databases: this will help you avoid Trojan programs getting onto your computer, which can steal your password and send it to cybercriminals.

8. The dangers of short URLs

Since 2006, the number of Twitter users has been steadily increasing. More than 25 million users want to know the answer to the site's slogan "What are you doing?"
Twitter is a social network that is different from all others - the microblogging format limits messages to 140 characters, which makes it difficult to include links in messages, which can account for a good half of the allowed message length.
In this case, lesser-known Internet services come into play, which translate long complex addresses into a significantly shortened form. URL shortening services have their drawbacks: it is difficult to tell where a short and unclear link actually refers, which negatively affects its transparency.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, cybercriminals use such services to translate the addresses of infected websites into a short form.
These messages, which can be distributed automatically, promise you sensational news, for example, about the death of a celebrity (for example, Michael Jackson).
In the absence of any sensational events, cybercriminals simply come up with something on their own - for example, news of the supposed death of Britney Spears was widely circulated on Twitter, while the singer herself was alive and well.
Unfortunately, this type of scam shows that short URLs are not secure. You can protect yourself by using additional modules for browsers: for example, the popular Firefox extension, which converts short addresses into the original format when you hold the mouse cursor over the link. This makes it possible to understand how safe the site to which the link refers is.

9. Movies, games, music and... malware

If you are just starting to use the Internet, most likely you will start by searching for movies, music files, TV shows or computer games.
In addition to the legal aspect of downloading such content, which has already been written about a lot, it is necessary to pay attention to other issues. If you're looking for this type of content, peer-to-peer networks might be the best place for you. the easy way get it, and you download a program that will help you go online and download everything you need.
Although you read somewhere that such files may contain viruses, you simply ignore this fact. However, you do so at your own peril and risk.
For example, games often come with hacking tools that are used to bypass copy protection. Hackers provide such tools because they believe all content should be free or because they want to impress the hacker community.
As for the boot files themselves, they may contain malware. Cybercriminals are well aware of the huge market for free content, and by disguising malware as popular files or simply adding malware to popular files, they increase the number of potential victims.
For example, a banking Trojan may be downloaded along with the game - although young people do not often use virtual banking services, the computer they download the file to may belong to their parents, who regularly check their account online. This gives scammers the opportunity to kill two (or more) birds with one stone.
The chances of malware entering your computer from a peer-to-peer network are quite high. Therefore, if you can save money by copying games or movies illegally, then downloading a Trojan program designed to steal your banking data can cost you hundreds of euros, which instantly reduces all the benefits to zero. There are undoubtedly benefits to being honest.

10. Conclusion

Cybercriminals are very creative and, as new Internet technologies and applications emerge, they begin to use them for their fraudulent purposes.
That is, they adapt already known schemes to new possibilities. Best example- a classic spam message with a link to a malicious website. Many people now know that you should never click on links in emails from unknown senders.
However, when this approach was adapted for use on social networks, the number of people clicking on links in unsolicited messages was quite large.
Just a few years ago, you could tell whether a website was fake or not by the appearance of a website: spelling errors, nondescript appearance, and so on.
However, cybercriminals have now become much more sophisticated. If you suspect that you are dealing with scammers, look for more information in the Internet; if it really was their doing, chances are other victims have already reported it.
Search on suspicious sites contact information and compare it with other sources.
Finally, use common sense. As we already said, if something reminds you of free cheese, then it’s a good idea to remember the mousetrap...
If something worries you, follow your intuition based on your experience on the Internet. Healthy skepticism will help you protect yourself from deceivers and scammers, and a reliable, up-to-date antivirus program and updated antivirus databases will do the rest.

Even those who have already fallen into the trap of attackers once believe that, thanks to caution, this will not happen again. But scammers are so inventive that people fall into their networks again and again.

Some methods of fraud on the Internet:

Phishing. Its purpose is to obtain secret user data: PIN codes of bank cards, access passwords, etc. Scammers send a person an SMS or email on behalf of the bank about an account being hacked, or a card being closed, or dangerous virus and offer to send your confidential data. Never share your PIN codes, passwords or other sensitive information with anyone. Remember: bank employees never ask their clients for such data.
Checking details. One of the most popular schemes: a phone call allegedly from a bank employee. The client is asked (“for verification”) to provide bank card details or confirm the transfer of funds using an SMS password. But after confirmation, it turns out that the said amount was not credited, but was withdrawn from the client’s account. Also, scammers use any means to extract the card number and expiration date, PIN code, and CVV code from the user. Then it’s a matter of technology - using such data you can pay for purchases and services via the Internet.
Traps from sellers. Such schemes are already quite old, but still many people somehow manage to fall for them. One of the methods is very simple: before sending the goods, the seller asks for an advance payment for the goods or to pay for it in full. And after receiving the transfer, he disappears forever: he deletes his account, does not get in touch, and turns off his phone. The second scheme is also quite simple: the buyer is sent a product that is known to be defective, which cannot be checked for functionality upon receipt (spare parts, components, etc.). And then the algorithm is the same as in the first case: the seller disappears.
Pseudo-buyers. The attacker calls the seller, asks about the product and offers payment by transfer of money. The scammer reports that he sent the money, but the seller needs to confirm the transfer. To do this, he needs to find an ATM and follow all the instructions that the scammer gives in real time over the phone. An inattentive seller does not receive money in this way, but sends all his funds to scammers. If you are offered to find an ATM and follow some instructions to get money, do not agree under any circumstances.
Deception of freelancers. A swindler places an advertisement on the Internet, for example, that typists are needed for a publishing house. After filling out the form, the applicant receives a letter stating that in order to receive the assignment, he needs to transfer a symbolic amount (20-50 UAH) to the “publishing house” account. But since there are quite a lot of people who want to work at home, then, as they say, “one by one…” There are also various exchanges on the Internet where one user orders work for another. In many cases, customers do not pay, citing the fact that the work was performed poorly. Therefore, before starting cooperation, you need to study information and reviews about the customer.
Money for information. In World Wide Web The information business is thriving. The “authors” offer to buy all kinds of techniques - from “how to lose weight in 2 days” and “pump up muscles in a week” to “how to make a million while sitting on the couch” or “successfully marry a millionaire.” A sane person understands that this is not necessary. But at the same time, many believe such scammers and order “instructions” or “video courses.” They may send you something, but you won’t learn anything new from it. Moreover, now any information can be found for free on the World Wide Web.
The “winner” of a prize drawing or lottery. It is difficult to find a person who has not received an SMS or email about winning a competition or winning a lottery. But to receive the prize you need to transfer a certain amount for shipping. Naturally, the “winner” does not receive any gift. As a rule, the company that runs the contest or drawing sends the prize at its own expense, rather than requiring you to pay for shipping.

There are other ways to scam money from inexperienced users. In any case, do not tell anyone confidential information about yourself and your bank cards, and also do not send money without collecting enough information about the recipient to trust him