Since most of us are already aware that online scams are really everywhere, it would be a truly wise move then if we acquire some firsthand information on how to detect them so we can come up with the best tactics to avoid them.
Scammers will always be prowling monsters and expert snipers – always on the lookout for the next vulnerable target. Thankfully for ordinary citizens like us, we can equip ourselves with shields and gear that can protect us from their attacks.
If you want to easily figure out if somebody, or if some online establishment is trying to funnel your money into their pockets, here are the best indicators that might help you:
No clear establishment information
More often than not, scammers would present themselves as legit online companies or business firms. After all, how would you think of them as legitimate if they won’t present themselves as such? But here’s the thing about some of these scammers, some of them are actually too lazy to put up a decent-looking social media ad or digital slogan and when they do, their sloppiness can be easily seen.
Because all they think about is the fastest way in which to deceive you, typo errors, bad grammar, and out-of-place sentences would be very evident in their posts. You may have seen professionals post their ads on Facebook, it would be good to take notice of the way they present their products and services.
Legit ads are by-products of the legit online establishments that produce them and market them. They are well-thought-of by their creators. It’s the reason why they appear very professional and captivating. If you compare them to the ones created by scammers, the difference would be very noticeable.
If something is not professional-looking enough, then it could be an indicator that it is a scam, though it would not always be the case. However, it would be wise to remember that legit business posts are almost always free from errors and are graphically appealing.
Just remember that the likelihood of professional posts having errors will always be fewer, than those that are made by scammers. Most fraudsters will not put too much money and effort into their presentations, it's the reason why most of their products are subpar when placed next to the authentic ones.
Whenever you’re dealing with any business endeavor online, or if you’re looking for online jobs or internet side-hustles, make it a top priority to look for clear information about the company they represent, or about the nature of the company itself.
No online presence
In connection to having no clear information about the alleged professional business, knowing if it has a website, or a couple of social media pages would be another wise set of moves. Today, it is impossible to think of a thriving business that has no website.
Of course, not all businesses can have the manpower and budget to purchase an area in cyberspace where they can present their firm virtually. But for sure, that business should have a Facebook page or LinkedIn page.
In its basic structure, making a social media page costs nothing except for time and effort. If an online business is really serious with its goals, why isn’t there a social media page for it? It’s a question that’s really worth asking.
Because social media has made remote communication faster, easier, and not to mention, a lot cheaper too, it would be foolish for a business organization to not utilize such an advantage. For that reason, any person who wants to do business with you via online means would surely use Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter to transact with customers.
And if a web business has really been around long enough, as most scammers would claim, do they have a website with a considerable number of followers already? If you can’t find an actual website for the company that wants to ask for some money from you, it really one of the biggest indicators that they are built for fraudulence.
Existence of bad reviews
Here’s one great thing about the internet: the people can have a voice, and when people have been giving bad reviews about a group of scammers somewhere in cyberspace, articles and videos that pertain to it would easily appear, once you type their names in the search bar of any search engine.
To make it even easier for you, there are sites like Glassdoor, Indeed, and Comparably, that post reviews about online job firms, and online investing sites. You can just log on to them, and search for any online company or business firm that you feel has something fishy to offer you.
If people have been liking or disliking such companies, there should be some reviews about them already on those reviewing sites. These platforms rely on content that can make people visit their sites regularly, and the more comments they get from people everywhere, the happier they would be. They would surely welcome you with open arms, as you look for reviews about online businesses or online scams for that matter.
You’re also very welcome to post your own rants about a certain company that scammed you. Even though those companies are not really scammers, your reviews about them would be very helpful to the site administrators as well as to other visitors.
In that case, many companies who already have scammed a lot of people will be there one way or another. You have to know this, scammed people are often too brutal. When they will speak about their anger and frustration about those that took away their hard-earned money, they will speak with the highest level of truthfulness, though there might also be some over-the-top exaggerations.
Rest assured, no online scammer can ever escape the rants of angry people who will do their very best to make sure that those companies will be shut down, and that they can get their money back whenever possible.
So to make your scam-prevention efforts even easier, just use Google and type “reviews for <name of online company or person>.” In that way, you’ll save yourself the hassle of getting entangled by the marketing tactics of those scammers.
