How to Protect Yourself From Online Financial Scams

Protecting your money is very important. With the explosion of technology, we can practically get anything we want or need delivered to our doorstep by ordering online! Our computers are hotbeds of personal information and hackers are rampant on the Internet. Being able to protect your identity and your money is incredibly important; however, it is incredibly easy to fall victim to a financial scam. Some of these scams look so legitimate it’s crazy! Here are the top five financial scams you should look out for to protect your money online.

• 1- Facebook Scams –The only people I know who are not on Facebook these days are my grandparentsâÂ?¦.and they are old so they have a good excuse. Facebook is a great way to keep in touch with your friends and family, but it is also a breeding ground for hackers. Watch out for apps that want access to all of your information, including friends lists. The people running these apps can disguise themselves to look like someone you may know and convince you to send them money to help them out of a bind. If this happens, just double check with your buddy before sending money.
• 2- Photo Contests- We all have that friend that thinks their baby is the cutest and thanks to all these cute babies in the world, scammer have taken advantage! They will create online photo contests and then request your financial information in order to send you the money you “won”, when in reality they will be taking all of yours. Just make sure the company you are submitting your baby’s photo to is legit!
• 3- Data Entry Jobs – A lot of these “work from home” jobs require you to pay them to get access to their “good” lists of clients or whatever lie they are throwing your way. These jobs are just another way to scam you out of lots of money. Watch out!
• 4- Pop-ups- Scammers will use pop-ups disguising themselves as important agencies claiming that your computer is at risk and to save it you must give them important information. Don’t do it!
• 5- Online Car Buying Scams- These are also becoming more popular with scammers. Long story, short, do not wire money to anyone you do not know! They can use the information used in the wire transfer to steal personal information and essentially money from you.

Online financial scams are everywhere these days. You really have to be diligent in protecting you r money and your personal information. These scammers can get you with just one little bit of information. Be sure you know who you are talking to, sending money to, or buying something from before you go through with it!