Mytrendingstories.com brings tricks about avoiding online scams today? The hot spot imposter (He’s close, real close)! How it works: You’re sitting in an airport or a coffee shop and you log into the local Wi-Fi zone. It could be free, or it could resemble a pay service like Boingo Wireless. You get connected, and everything seems fine. What’s really going on: The site only looks legitimate. It’s actually run by a nearby criminal from a laptop. If it’s a “free” site, the crook is mining your computer for banking, credit card, and other password information. If it’s a fake pay site, he gets your purchase payment, then sells your card number to other crooks. The big picture: Fake Wi-Fi hot spots are cropping up everywhere, and it can be difficult to tell them from the real thing. “It’s lucrative and easy to do,” says Brian Yoder, vice president of engineering at CyberDefender, a manufacturer of antivirus software. “Criminals duplicate the legitimate Web page of a Wi-Fi provider like Verizon or AT&T and tweak it so it sends your information to their laptop.”

News by Mytrendingstories.com online publishing: 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checks are later discovered to be phony, the banks reverse the deposit and the victims are left liable for the money withdrawn, usually several thousand dollars.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 guides: The old phrase “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is” certainly applies to shopping online. Fake retail websites aim to steal your hard-earned money by pretending to be legitimate. Pay attention to these red flags when shopping online. How can you protect yourself from these phony sites? Use Google’s Transparency tool to check site status or the BBB’s Scam Tracker. Only purchase items online using a secured network Confirm that the web address begins with “HTTPS,” – the ‘s’ stands for secure. Never store your card number in a browser, website, or mobile app. You’re probably familiar with phishing—fake emails that claim to come from legitimate companies—but have you heard of a similar tactic called smishing? Smishing is when fraudsters send text messages that seem urgent and indicate something is wrong. These texts typically ask you to click on a link or reply to resolve a serious situation. They may also promise gifts or offers in exchange for personal information. So how should you handle a text message that you think maybe spam? Find more info at mytrendingstories scam.

Mytrendingstories.com discuss how to defeat 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.

Report the scam to the police through Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040, or report a scam anonymously on its website. If you’re in Scotland, report a scam through Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000 or on its website. You can also report scams to Police Scotland on 101. If you wish to seek further advice, contact Citizens Advice Scams Action through the website, or call its online scams helpline on 0300 330 3003. Alternatively, you can contact the Financial Conduct Authority’s helpline on 0800 111 6768. How do I know if I’ve been scammed? You’ve had unexplained transactions on your bank account. Additional financial products pop up on your credit report that you don’t remember taking out. Bank statements meant for your address aren’t delivered – this could be a sign of ID fraud. You’re rejected for credit when you’ve got a good credit history. It’s worth checking your credit reference file on a monthly basis to see if someone is making false applications for credit in your name. See the Credit Check guide for full info. See even more information at https://mytrendingstories.com/.