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15 Ways to Avoid Being Scammed Online

No one is perfect, as anyone can easily fall prey to internet fraudsters, but once you understand how they work, you will be on the safe side, as knowing these will save you from being a victim of scams. In this article, we will show you 15 ways to avoid being scammed online.

There are different types of online scams: financial scams, romance scams, job scams, investment scams, and religion scams, among others. So, what are the ways to avoid being scammed online?

1. RELIGIOUS SCAM.

There are so many fraudsters online parading themselves as prophets and herbalists to scam unsuspecting members of the public. They will tell you that they can get you rich and promise you divine fortune. They sell different soaps, oils, and spiritual stuff online, which they will never deliver.

They might tell you that they saw a revelation about you and ask you to pay a certain amount for spiritual cleansing. Most of these things are scams. Do not believe everything you see online. If you are facing spiritual problems, online prophets are not always the best solution.

2. ROMANCE SCAM.

This type of scam is common on dating sites. These fraudsters will create a fake account using a woman as a profile picture and use it to scam innocent men under the guise of love and relationships. If you toast them, they will ask you for transport money, and after that, they will block you. Some of them might even claim to be hookup girls, and after sending them money, they will cut you off immediately.

To avoid being a victim of a scam, do not send money to a woman you barely know. If you are in an online relationship, verify him or her very well and make your findings about your partner.

3. PHISHING.

This is another way of scamming people online; this usually happens through links. Once you come across a suspicious link and click the link, and the link is asking you to input your Facebook account and password or other confidential information, please do not proceed further. If you do it, you may lose your account. This logic can be used to hijack your Facebook page and other social media accounts.

Avoid sharing and clicking malicious links on social media; otherwise, your account may be hacked, and the hacker will use the account to defraud your family and friends.

4. WHATSAPP TV.

There are too many WhatsApp TVs nowadays whose primary purpose is to scam innocent people of their hard-earned money. They will tell you that they are doing giveaways and pay 1k to get 5k.

They will post screenshots of the credit alert to make it look real to you. Please never fall for this scam. How will you ask me to pay 3k to get 6k as a giveaway? What type of silly giveaway is that? But you know what? Some people will still pay, and that’s because of greed.

You have to work to get that money. Nothing in this life is free; you can’t be in your room and expect your #1,000 to get you #4000 within 45 minutes without working. Once they collect your money, they block

5. SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS FOR SALE.

You came across a post online saying that “this 10,000 followers Instagram account is for sale,” and you paid like that without even knowing the person or how legitimate it is. Never, I repeat, never pay anyone you don’t know online to buy a social media account, be it Facebook or Instagram. That is another logic scammers use to defraud innocent people online. They will keep using the account to scam people, telling you the account is for sale, and once you pay, they will block you.

In addition, please never sell your personal social media account for money. This can land you in prison. I repeat, do not sell your Facebook account for money. Even if you are dying of hunger, make sure that the account you are selling is fake. Selling your social media account can land you in prison if the account is being used by fraudsters.

6. ONLINE BETTING.

There is nothing like fixed games; they are all scams. To be on the safe side, do not risk what you can’t afford to lose. Life is all about risk, but I always tell people never to risk what they can’t afford to lose. Don’t pay any money for betting predictions or fixed games online. These are the formats scammers use to defraud people online.

7. ONLINE BUSINESS.

These businesses are those that sell clothes, human hair, and other products online. Scammers have spoiled these businesses for real people who are into them. Before you pay vendors online for clothes or make any order online, make sure the vendor has a Facebook account and you do a live video to confirm their identity.

If he or she doesn’t have a Facebook profile, don’t patronize them. Check the Facebook profile and make sure it is a real account. After that, request at least six pictures with a valid identity card. Check if what they sent to you correlates with their Facebook profile. Scammers are now using any medium to dupe people, and this is the only way to tell the real business from the fake one and avoid being a victim of a scam.

8. USHERING JOB.

This scam is common on Facebook. They will say that their company is looking for people who can work as ushers for #10,000 per day. They will ask you to DM on WhatsApp, and to cut a long story short, they will ask you to pay #10,000 or any amount for registration. Once you pay, they will block you.

9. INVESTMENT SCAM.

Nothing Like Crowd1: Binomo Investment: Those who use it on WhatsApp are scammers. If you need an Opay POS machine, follow the due process. Do not invest your money in any money-doubling investment on the internet.

10. BANK FRAUD.

To avoid losing the money in your account, make sure you lock your SIM so that when you lose your phone, scammers won’t be able to wipe the money in your account. If you receive messages or calls from strangers claiming to be bank staff, please block them immediately.

11. JOB SCAM.

If you receive a message that you are scheduled for an interview, please don’t go, or better yet, take someone along with you. Beware of emergency job interviews; if possible, verify well. Don’t just go to any place because you are eager to get a job without fact-checking. You may receive a message saying, “Job available #6,000 daily.” A link will be attached to the message. If you receive such a message or email, kindly ignore it because they’re all scams.

12. JUMIA LOG.

Don’t fall for the scam of Jumia Log because such a thing does not exist, and only greedy people will fall for this cheap scam. If you want any Jumia agent to place orders for you, ensure it’s for cash on delivery. Don’t send money to people you don’t know.

13. SPORTYBET BALANCE ADDER.

I’m very sure you have come across this before and are wondering if it is legit, and the truth is, it’s a scam. You should ask yourself if such things truly exist; everyone would have been a millionaire by now. Sportybet Balance Adder is a scam; don’t try it.

14. WAEC/JAMB UPGRADE.

Another means through which scammers defraud their victims is through WAEC and Jamb result upgrades. They will tell you that they can help you increase your UTME score and upgrade your WAEC result. Meanwhile, this thing is very fake because it is not possible to upgrade your o’level and Jamb result. Once you pay them for the upgrade, they will block you immediately.

15. ONLINE THRIFT.

Online thrift is a daily, weekly, or monthly contribution where people will save money and withdraw it at a certain time. Most of the people involved are scammers who will abscond with your money when it’s time for you to withdraw. Do not put your money in any online thrift store to avoid stories that touch.