Protect yourself from online scam tricks by MyTrendingStories blogging platform? Free trial offer! (Just pay forever) How it works: You see an Internet offer for a free one-month trial of some amazing product—often a teeth whitener or a weight-loss program. All you pay is $5.95 for shipping and handling. What’s really going on: Buried in fine print, often in a color that washes into the background, are terms that obligate you to pay $79 to $99 a month in fees, forever. The big picture: “These guys are really shrewd,” says Christine Durst, an Internet fraud expert who has consulted for the FBI and the FTC. “They know that most people don’t read all the fine print before clicking on ‘I agree,’ and even people who glance at it just look for numbers. So the companies spell out the numbers, with no dollar signs; anything that has to do with money or a time frame gets washed into the text.” That’s exactly what you’ll see in the terms for Xtreme Cleanse, a weight-loss pill that ends up costing “seventy-nine dollars ninety-five cents plus five dollars and ninety-five cents shipping and handling” every month once the 14-day free trial period ends or until you cancel. Avoidance maneuver: Read the fine print on offers, and don’t believe every testimonial. Check TinEye.com, a search engine that scours the Web for identical photos. If that woman with perfect teeth shows up everywhere promoting different products, you can be fairly certain her “testimonial” is bogus. Reputable companies will allow you to cancel, but if you can’t get out of a “contract,” cancel your card immediately, then negotiate a refund; if that doesn’t work, appeal to your credit card company. Not all websites will lose you money–Youtube can make you a fortune.
News with MyTrendingStories blogging portal: You’ve been hired…and scammed. Often fake check scams and run in tandem with job-search scams. You’ll hear that you’ve been “hired” and instructed to deposit a check in your bank account, then withdraw most of the money and wire it to someone else. Victims are told to keep several hundred dollars of the money as payment. When the checks are later discovered to be phony, the banks reverse the deposit and the victims are left liable for the money withdrawn, usually several thousand dollars. Even if you’re not asked to forward on part of the funds, unexpected checks can still be scams. For example, you might be liable for the amount of the counterfeit check, your endorsement might give your account information to fraudsters, or you could receive follow-up attempts to phish for personal financial information — or some combination.
MyTrendingStories anti-scam tips: Maybe you wouldn’t be frightened by this scam or that scam. People are getting better at recognizing the common scams and ignoring them. But scammers keep adapting and they specialize in pushing emotional buttons with just-credible-enough claims. One day a scam could “get to you.” It will be a situation where you’ll be afraid that what you’re being told could be true. The scammer will put tremendous pressure on you to act before you have time to think or control the adrenaline rush, just like the couple in Hingham. Take the opportunity now — as with a fire drill — to plan for how you and your family and friends will deal with an “alarming news” message threatening to lead to some “dreadful” potential outcome. Read more info on https://mytrendingstories.com/korkrum-ellen-y-kawame/mytrendingstories-scam-guide-or-how-to-defeat-online-scammers-in-dztbwv.
Mytrendingstories teaches how to escape scams: If you receive an email from a major shipping service such as FedEx claiming that your package is delayed or there is a problem with your order, this might be a phishing scam. Typically, this kind of email will ask you to click on a link for more details of the purported problem. But clicking the link can result in downloading malware that hackers use to take information from your computer. Rather than click on the link, you should visit the shipper’s website directly and use your tracking or order confirmation number to verify the status of your package, according to CNBC. Reputable retailers will typically have a summary of who they are in an “About Us” section where you can check out the company’s background, values and mission. Legitimate companies also typically have a “Contact Us” section where shoppers can send service complaints and questions.
WARNING: The coronavirus pandemic has seen a rise in scams. There has been an increase in criminals looking to exploit financial and health concerns by asking for money for fake services upfront, collecting personal information or bank details, or offering temptingly high returns on made-up investments or pension transfers. For full information see our blog on coronavirus scams to look out for and how to protect yourself. Scams are fraudulent schemes that dupe people into parting with their personal details and/or cash. They’ve been around for as long as we can remember, but they’re no longer confined to shady door-to-door salesmen or dodgy second-hand car dealers. Find more info on https://mytrendingstories.com/.