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Hi! I'm Abbey from Dieteman Technology Consulting and today I am going to be giving you the
one easy sure-fire way to never ever ever fall for an internet scam again.
And, guess what? Even you can do it, no matter what your technology savvy level is.
Before we get started, I'm sure you're thinking, "Internet scams, really? Do people
still fall for those?" and while you're saying that, someone, somewhere across the
globe is saying, "Noooo, nobody falls for internet scams anymore." And they are making
a living because of that mindset.
So the reason you're probably thinking that nobody falls for internet scams anymore is
because back in the day the internet scams consisted of somebody e-mailing you claiming
to be the prince of Nigeria and needed your measly help getting some money into a bank
account here in America. You were going to walk away with a million dollars. Yeah, nobody's
falling for that anymore. But, as your internet savvy is developing, so is the scammer's.
They know that you're smarter than that now, so they're using new tactics.
They're not preying on that now. They know that everybody knows that the prince of Nigeria
is probably not e-mailing sexypirate212@hotmail.com. However, they do know that there's one thing
that hasn't changed in the last 20 years -- people still have adrenaline. When they
get something urgent, their logic goes out the window. So you're not thinking intelligently
anymore, and that's what they want.
So the thing that the scammers prey on these days is not lack of internet intelligence
because we've had clients in just the last couple of weeks --intelligent business owners-
fall for internet scams. Here's how it's done: internet scammers prey on your emotions
and your sense of urgency. In a new phone scam that's been around recently, they get
a little boy to get on the line and say "Grandma!" Before grandma can even stop and think, "Wait
a minute, my grandson lives next door, he's not travelling in Nigeria or wherever they
say." Before they get a chance to think that, the adrenaline is rushing and they are
thinking, "Oh my God, I have to go help my grandson."
So, similarly, that's what internet scammers are doing these days. One really successful
scam, where they're making tons of money I'm sure is this new FBI scam. Most of your
computers and laptops are equipped with a webcam. This virus that you download opens
up your webcam and takes a screenshot of your face. Then, a popup comes up that says, "You
have just downloaded something illegal, the FBI is going to investigate, send us some
money or you are going to be arrested."
We have one client that ran out to the convenience store, bought a MoneyPak card, and was ready
to send it the "FBI" when they called us and said, "Hey, wait a minute, this doesn't
sound right." If you're close enough to a store that you don't have time to think
about it, you are out there and sending the money to these scammers. That's one that's
really easy to fall for.
How can you prevent them from getting you? Maybe the FBI scam wouldn't work on you.
Maybe you would think you need to contact a lawyer. But, they'll be something else
that will come along that will tap on your emotions, because these scammers are smart.
They are making a ton of money.
So there's one way that's easy-peasey, anyone can do it. Stop. Take a breath and
breathe. Any time you get an e-mail or something popping up on your computer, you have to think
that anyone that's in the government or trying to do any harm to you, isn't going
to contact you through e-mail or your computer. If the FBI was really after you, they'd
be knocking on your door.
So the first think you do when you're not sure if this is legit or not, take a deep
breath and visit your friend Google. Super easy. All you have to do is type in Google
what the message says that popped up on your computer. Type it in verbatim and I guarantee
you there's going to be hundreds of people that have faced the exact same scam. They'll
have commented on it, "This is a scam! Don't do it!"
So, anytime something weird happens on your computer and you're not sure- Google it.
Or, give a call to your local friendly computer consulting person. All it takes is a phone
call to say, "Hey, this came up on my computer, what do I do?" It might be a virus. It might
be something that needs to be eliminated from your email. In the case of the FBI scam, they're
accessing your webcam, so they're installing a virus right on your computer. That's something
that has to be taken care of right away. But, not taken care of as in you sending money
to scam artists.
If you have any other questions about scamming or anything like that, please give us a call
or shoot us an e-mail, or leave a comment below.
What scams have you fallen for? Or, what scams have you not fallen for? You can help other
viewers out by leaving a comment below. Subscribe to this channel if you think it's valuable
information. Definitely share this with your friends the sure-fire, easy-peasy, anybody-can-do-it
way to never ever fall for any internet scam.