By now, everyone has heard of the Nigerian Prince email scam, but scammers are getting smarter. They can take a company that you have an account with and make an email that is almost indistinguishable from the actual company. They trick you into giving them some personal information, so they can steal your identity. You may think that it can't happen to you, but 44% of millennials were victims of online crime in 2015. Getting scammed can cause huge issues and even ruin your credit. You can follow these tips to avoid getting scammed and having your information stolen.
Don't click any links or call any numbers
If you get an email/letter from your bank, IRS, or anything else and it seems fishy, go to their official website and call the phone number listed there to see if they actually sent you something. They will have a record of your account and know if they contacted you recently. If it was them, you can resolve the issue using that line as well. DO NOT CLICK ON ANY LINKS OR CALL THE NUMBER LISTED IN THE LETTER.
Double check the website and email sent to you to avoid getting scammed
These scammers often use websites with very similar names and design them to look just like the site they want your information on. They will also disguise their email to make it look like the company they're impersonating. Double check the link they sent and make sure it's the exact website of the company (but avoid clicking it anyways). Also, double check the actual email sender to see who it is from. If the email sent to you is from something like adipur@jaij3pa.xyz, it is definitely a scammer trying to steal your information.
If you follow these simple tips, you can easily avoid all the scams on the Internet. Scams will constantly evolve and find ways to trick you into giving your information away. Always be cautious when receiving emails and make sure your security is always up to date. An easy way to make sure a website is secure is to look for 'https' in the address bar. This let's you know that the website is secure and is most likely safe to use.
