How To Recognize Scams

By Toby Tunwase

The internet is full of several scams nowadays, so it has become complicated to recognize real opportunities. These scams come in various ways, from emails to investment opportunities, the list is endless, and there are myriad methods. However, fundamentally there are some signs that all scams have in common. Where these signs are seen, you will be wise to be skeptical of the person or organization you are dealing with.

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  1. Scammers usually state that there is an issue or an extraordinary prize 

To get responses from you, scammers often appeal to our sense of alarm or greed. So, you get messages or content that says you have issues with your bank, you have a problem with the government, you have won a prize you did not apply for, or you can get an extraordinary return on investments. 

Where you see such messages, you should be wary and ensure that you can find out all information about such opportunity, organization, or person. 

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  1. It is usually a scam if you have to pay immediately 

Yes, while many legitimate things may have deadlines or need urgency, they are not always presented with so much pressure to pay immediately. A scam, on the other hand, doesn’t want to give you the time to think. For example, on a call, they don’t want you to hang up to confirm anything. 

  1. It is usually a scam if it insists that you pay through only one specific way.