The perpetrators lead you to believe that you are in for a lucrative investment or present you with a great offer on the Internet.
1. Investment scams
The perpetrators lead you to believe that you are in for a lucrative investment...
Common investment scams can involve, among other things, lucrative investment opportunities, such as stocks, bonds, cryptocurrencies, rare metals, investments in real estate abroad or alternative energies.
What ads are there for this?
- You receive unsolicited calls – multiple times.
- You are promised quick returns and assured that the investment is safe.
- The offer is only available for a limited period of time.
- The offer is valid only for you and you are requested not to pass it on.
What can you do?
- Before handing over money or making an investment, always seek independent financial advice.
- Refuse telephone solicitations about investment opportunities.
- Be wary of offers that promise a safe investment, a guaranteed return and high profits.
- Beware of future scams. If you have already invested in a fraudulent business once, the scammers are likely to target you again or sell your information to other criminals.
- If you have any suspicions, contact the police.
2. Online Shopping Scams
The perpetrators present you with a great offer on the Internet!
Consumers and businesses are buying and selling more and more online. You can often make a good purchase when shopping online - but be careful of scammers.
What can you do?
- Visit domestic retail websites - you'll probably be able to sort out any issues you may have more easily.
- Do your research – check reviews before you buy anything.
- Use credit cards – then you have a better chance of getting your money back. Even better: choose to purchase on account. But never pay in advance to shops you don’t know!
- Only pay via a secure payment service provider. Are you being asked to pay using a money transfer service provider or wire transfer? Then you better think twice! – Only pay via a secure internet connection – avoid free or public WiFi.
- Only pay using a secure device. Keep your operating system and security software up to date.
- Beware of advertisements offering you outrageous deals or miracle products. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is n't true!
- A pop-up ad telling you you won a prize? Think twice, you might as well just win malware.
- If the product does not arrive, contact the seller. If you don't get an answer, contact your bank.
- Report any suspicion of attempted fraud to the police, even if you were not the victim of the fraud.
- You can find information about fake shops in our guide here.
Download the information sheet Investment Scams
Download the information sheet Online Shopping Scam
Source: Internet Crime Guide | Police Lower Saxony | Joint cyber fraud awareness campaign between Europol and the European Banking Association (EBF) as part of the European Cybersecurity Month (ECSM)
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