The computer revolution, like all revolutions, has brought as much bad as it has good, but it’s here to stay. Therefore, as painful as it may be, it’s necessary to wise up to the fact that many nefarious people are using the internet to con you.
So here are 25 of the most common internet scams, designed to fool you into handing over your money or private details. Fortunately, simply being aware of these scams, and the modus operandi of these modern criminals, is enough to fortify and protect yourself from them.
1. The Nigerian con
This is a very common scam. You receive an email saying a rich Nigerian nobleman has died, or perhaps a foreigner with no heirs has died here, and all you need to do is help the emailer by letting them move the money to your account for safe keeping. For this you will be handsomely rewarded, they say. At some point the emailer will ask you for money, for bank fees, or something like that. Don’t reply to any email that promises you money.