Browsing the web has become a daily habit for many people. Whether they are in pursuit of knowledge or entertainment or they are just doing it because they can, it has become a source of relief for everyone. However, sometimes the malicious prey on these innocent people just trying to go about their lives on the internet. Here are three scams that you should look out for next time you are browsing the web.
#1 You should be aware of ransomware
Ransomware is a scary thing. It can have huge consequences on you and your device, so you should do everything you can to try and avoid it. As explained in this article from Proofpoint, ransomware is often put into a system through the victim interacting with something a cybercriminal has set up, for example, a phishing attack.
Clicking on a link from a stray email that might have seemingly come from ‘nowhere’ is a sure way for your device to get infected. However, there are other ways that ransomware can get onto your device.
#2 You should be aware of scareware
Scareware is one of the best-known scams out there that you should be extremely wary of. Not only are they easy to spot, but they are also very obviously scams, although not to all people, unfortunately. Children using the internet might feel threatened, or older people might not understand why this ad is popping up in their faces.
This is a shame, as it catches many people out with this sort of fear tactic. It gets people to click on a link or to download content that is malware or ransomware. This is dangerous, and although it might be harmless to you, you need to be aware of it at all times.
#3 You should be aware of baiting
Baiting is also quite obvious. It can come in the form of an email, a text, an ad, or even a physical device such as an abandoned USB – this kind of thing uses curiosity to get you to act out of character and do something daft. For instance, you might see an ad saying that you have won a prize, and you need to click through to claim your reward, or it could be something like a text message from an unknown number or an email stating that you need to get something changed ‘urgently’, to which you go through to a website. It might even be done by tricking you into picking up a malware-infected device. Either way, baiting is an attack you need to watch out for as it comes in many forms.
To wrap things up
Finally, you should be making sure that you are on the lookout for scams whenever you are on the internet. This can be a serious problem for all users who are just using the internet casually, and it can be an awful way to interrupt your day, as well as being expensive and stressful to set right.
