Online scams and offline scams can both have serious impacts on the victims of fraud. Both types of fraud involve a person or a group of people deliberately presenting false information in order to gain something of value. Since the internet and associated technologies have become more widespread, online scams have become increasingly sophisticated and harder to detect. On the other hand, offline scams continue to be used advantaged by criminals who target those who are not well-versed in the latest technologies.
Online scams are mainly conducted through email, social media and messaging apps, websites, and ads, and involve a perpetrator gaining access to a person’s personal information in order to commit fraud. Common scams include phishing, identity theft, and ransomware. Phishing scams involve attempting to acquire personal or financial information through emails that appear to come from legitimate companies, such as banks. Identity theft involves the theft of personal information, such as names, addresses, or Social Security numbers, to open accounts and commit fraud without the knowledge of the victim. Ransomware involves malicious software installed on a person’s computer, locking it down until the victim pays a certain ransom.
Offline scams typically involve face-to-face interaction, and may involve other forms of communication, such as telephone calls, text messages, or postal mail. Common scamming techniques include “Ponzi schemes”, where perpetrators target people to invest money in a false investment program, with “investors” only receiving money from later victims, and “advance-fee frauds”, where perpetrators may give the impression of offering a loan, but are actually only after processing or upfront fees for the loan. Another popular one is door-to-door scams, where perpetrators going door-to-door in residential neighborhoods soliciting charity donations with fake certificates or credentials, or claiming that they will repair certain items for a fee but not providing the services.
In both cases, victims of fraud may suffer financial losses, but also suffer emotional and psychological damage if their personal information becomes exposed. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the common scams and online safety measures, and to be vigilant when interacting with people online or in-person. Knowing the signs may help those potentially affected by scamming to avoid falling victim.