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$500 Billion is the estimated amount that cybercrime costs every year

Based on the various reports of 2015, cybercrime has hit so bad that it is estimated to cost $500 Billion. The study by World Economic Forum says that every year a majority of cybercrime goes undetected. By 2020, the cyber security industry is expected to worth $170 Billion globally.

Surveys and researches conducted by ONS tell that there were about 2.5 million cybercrime offences that took place between May and August 2015. Let us discuss few common scams that are hitting us more often.

Email from Nigeria Promising a Large Inheritance

You might not have heard about this. It’s just that sometimes you get emails promising a large amount of money from a war- affected area, like Syria, Nigeria, Iraq or from any other place. Kindly never respond to such emails.

Amazon Users getting targeted by Phishing Campaigns

In the holiday season, Amazon users who are the largest user base, generally gets targeted by smart cyber criminals. One of the easiest trap cyber criminals easily trap the users in is Ad poisoning which hijacks your computer on clicking the wrong links available on the page.

In need of desperate help

You might receive an email from any contact present in your email contact list asking for help because they got stuck in a different city or country. They will convince you 100% and will seek for financial help which will seem to be genuine. In such cases just try giving your friend or loved one a call in order to confirm before losing your hard- earned money.

Ransomware Scam

This scam takes control of your computer and demand for a ransom amount before letting it free. When you are browsing, suddenly you might get a warning window which might say, for example, your system is now in the control of the FBI. You would typically click on an unknown link in order to learn more and this will launch the malicious codes on your system. In order to come out of this situation, you will need to pay an amount. Hence, try not to click on unknown links or WebPages.

Technical Support Scam

Sometimes you might get a call from a company promising to solve all your computer issues without charging much. Once you share your card details, your personal information will be compromised.

Few other scams are

  • Facebook Dislike Button Scam
  • The Syrian Boy Scam
  • Ashley Madison Scam

BBB provided top and famous scams for 2015 which are as follows-

  1. Top Ad Scam – Fake Online Reviews
  2. Top Big Data Scam – Big Box Breach
  3. Top Sales Scam – Redirected Robocalls
  4. Top Finance Scam – Online Affinity Fraud
  5. Top Utilities Scam – Fake Billing
  6. Top Romance Scam – Online Dating scam/ Catphishing
  7. Top Social Media Scam – Fake Facebook Friend Request
  8. Top Identity Theft – Remote Computer Repair
  9. Top Emotional Scam – Disaster Charity Fraud
  10. Top Auto Scam – Automotive Online Pricing

 

There are three steps to protect you from these scams-

  • Try avoiding clicking on alluring schemes regarding discounts or rewards.
  • Keep your computer updated with the latest malware and antivirus protection.
  • Content from trusted websites should only be entertained.

 

Just follow these steps and you will be enjoying your holidays.

About Ali Raza

Ali Raza is a freelance journalist with extensive experience in marketing and management. He holds a master degree and actively writes about crybersecurity, cryptocurrencies, and technology in general. Raza is the co-founder of SpyAdvice.com, too, a site dedicated to educating people on online privacy and spying.
@AliR1272

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