Scam avoidance guides by Mytrendingstories platform? First, don’t trust the messenger, no matter who they say they are or what it says on caller ID. Do not act immediately. Break the contact and take a 10-minute breather. Get some water. Scammers often push “secrecy,” so talk to someone you’re sure is likely to remain calm. Think about your options to independently verify any alarming message. Google is a great scam-confirmation tool. Your local police and your bank are also resources for you in a moment like this. Call them on phone numbers you personally get from their official websites. Find out what you’re really dealing with and then your next steps will become clear — especially if it’s a scam. If your “prior preparation” saves you from falling for a scam, spread the word. Tell others what happened and help them learn how to prepare to save themselves too.

Latest news by Mytrendingstories.com online platform: Do not pay money—for anything. Legitimate employers don’t charge to hire you. Don’t pay for kits, software, training, or any other tools or procedures. Don’t send money for work-at-home directories, advice on getting hired, company information, or for anything else related to a job. References work both ways. You are as entitled to check a company’s references as they are to check you out. Ask for references if you’re not sure if the company is legitimate. Request a list of other employees or contractors. Then, contact the references to ask how this is working out. If the company isn’t willing to provide references (names, email addresses, and phone numbers), do not consider the opportunity.

Mytrendingstories anti-scam tricks: 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.” Find additional information on mytrendingstories scams.

Mytrendingstories.com discuss how to escape scams: Melanie Duquesnel – the President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau, serving Eastern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula – recommends you only book flights on websites familiar to you. If you Google kiss&fly, the site pops up, but just below that, you find a slew of reviews warning you not to use it. So, what is the biggest scam the local BBB is seeing right now when it comes to travel? “The biggest scam is where you’re going to rent,” said Duquesnel. It’s called the Vacation Rental Con,where you’re lured into booking a house or a condo only to find out the property isn’t actually for rent, doesn’t exist, or is significantly different than what was pictured. Even reputable sites like Airbnb and Vrbo have had to deal with this problem according to Duquesnel.

With our ever-expanding dependence on technology, there are bound to be people who try to take advantage of people on the internet. In addition to internet scams and hacks, there are over-the-phone scams that attempt to steal personal information. Below are some tips from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff Office on how to spot potential scams and what to do to avoid coming in contact with them. Do not open or click on links from emails that you do not recognize, even from ones that appear to be businesses or organizations. You should immediately delete them so they are removed from your inbox. This also applies to links received over text messages. A general rule of thumb is to not click links when you aren’t sure where it will take you. Always look for the secure site icon near the URL, otherwise any information you submit there is not secure. See additional information on https://mytrendingstories.com/.