{"id":98742,"date":"2018-06-23T04:04:07","date_gmt":"2018-06-23T04:04:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sftarticles.wpenginepowered.com\/en\/?p=98742"},"modified":"2025-07-01T23:23:30","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T06:23:30","slug":"3-online-scams-to-watch-out-for-in-2018-and-how-to-avoid-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/3-online-scams-to-watch-out-for-in-2018-and-how-to-avoid-them\/","title":{"rendered":"3 online scams to watch out for in 2018 (and how to avoid them)"},"content":{"rendered":"

No matter what precautions we take online, cybercriminals will eventually find a way around them. So what can be done? <\/span><\/p>\n

Well, half the battle is being aware. Scams are a lot like the common cold virus: they mutate all the time. Once we defeat one, a new and unfamiliar one comes along. This makes catching them all the more difficult, and why antivirus software just isn\u2019t enough. <\/span><\/p>\n

We won\u2019t ever know the details of every scam in existence, but we can learn their general appearance and practice common sense. Technology is so ingrained in our lives, there are thousands of different vulnerabilities hackers can exploit. But if we\u2019re vigilant, if we \u201carm\u201d ourselves with the knowledge of scamming practices, we can parry these attacks before they do us harm. <\/span><\/p>\n

So let\u2019s take a look at the scams to watch out for in 2018.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Phishing attacks<\/b><\/h3>\n

A phishing attack is when a criminal tricks you into revealing personal information by pretending to be a trusted person or institution, such as a friend, colleague, bank, or even a service like Netflix. <\/span><\/p>\n

The most common phishing attacks are by email, and often include links to fake sites that capture your details. Everything, including logos, language, and design, is made to look as close to a genuine email as possible, so you\u2019ve got to be on your guard. They\u2019re usually easy to spot if you hover your mouse over the sender to reveal the real email address. <\/span><\/p>\n

Over the years, phishing scams have become ever more elaborate. They\u2019ve spread to social media, where hackers pose as friends to encourage you to click links to fake sites that steal your data. There are even <\/span>fake apps<\/span><\/a> that do the same. Perhaps most worrying is <\/span>hackers\u2019 use of artificial intelligence to convince you they\u2019re genuine<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

What action can you take?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n