Every single week I have conversations with patrons about scams. Sometimes it’s them showing me an email and asking if I think it’s legitimate or if they should delete it. Other times it’s them telling me about how their bank accounts were compromised or their computers were infected with viruses. Sometimes it’s them just needing to vent that the item they bought online either never arrived or was completely different to what they thought they were ordering.
It’s a sad fact but scams are becoming a part of everyday life. We always have to be vigilant, always on the lookout, questioning everything. This isn’t a new phenomenon, however. For as long as there have been humans, there have been those who will take advantage of others, who seek out easy targets to make a quick buck. What has changed is the ease of access these scammers and conmen now have to the everyday Joe.
Once upon a time, scammers had to rely on letters sent by post, those dreaded phone calls just at dinnertime, or setting up convoluted schemes that had victims believing they were investing in a lucrative business deal. They had to be direct, cunning, and determined in their attempts to part people from their hard-earned money. Now, they simply have to exist in the same online space as us, even in a passive capacity.
Scammers can now ‘set and forget’ their cons. For example, have you ever been scrolling your social media pages and come across an ad for a product you’ve seen everyone raving about? You think it could be useful and the price is an absolute steal, so you click on the ad and go to the website to make the purchase. You wait weeks and your parcel finally arrives, only for you to discover that the item is cheaply made, the material is not what you expected, or the sizing is completely off.
How did you fall prey to these scammers? First of all, just because you’re on a site that you normally trust, that doesn’t mean you can trust who advertises with them. Social media sites, news pages, and blogs don’t generally vet who advertises with them. You’re just as likely to come across a dodgy ad on Facebook as you are on a website of questionable morality.
Then there’s the FOMO aspect. Every man and his dog have this latest gadget, it’s all the rage. If everyone has it, then surely you should have it too? This fear of missing out can make normally intelligent people make impulsive decisions. Unfortunately, these impulsive decisions don’t usually prompt you to research the brand, look at reviews, or check the veracity of a site on pages such as Trustpilot.com.
Lastly, you ignored the old adage, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Your immediate thought might be that you’re getting a great bargain, but you need to assess the deal with a critical eye. How much would you expect to pay for the item in a store? If you couldn’t buy that dog crate for less than $200 at a local store, then why do you think you’d get the same crate for only $20 with free postage online? You may receive a dog crate in the mail but it’ll probably only be big enough for a Barbie pet accessory than your own German Sheppard.
It’s time to get savvy. Don’t just ‘one-click’ links online. Use a search engine to search for the item, compare stores and prices, read the specifics (dimensions, materials etc.), check the reviews for both the product and the website, and read the fine print. Take responsibility for your online shopping and get out of the habit of blindly trusting every ad or website you come across. By doing this, you might not avoid ever getting scammed, but you’ll manage to dodge the majority of them.
