7 COMMON SCAMS EVERYONE SHOULD BE AWARE OF

We’ve all heard about someone who has fallen victim to a scam and we think it would never happen to us... until it does. Protect yourself and your loved ones by knowing what to look out for.

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Just when you think you’ve seen it all, another new scam strolls into town, dressed in a disguise even better than the last one. This time, you’re in a hurry and receive an email that urgently needs your attention, so you go ahead and follow the prompts. There’s no reason not to believe the email was legit – the business logo looked right, the language seemed professional and the email address ticks all the right boxes. So you go ahead, do as they say and next thing you know, notifications of deductions start appearing in your banking account.

Digital scams may be the most common, but it’s important to remember that there are many different types of scams – those that happen via the internet, in person, and telephonically. Most scams focus on stealing your money, others focus on your identity, and some are aimed at hurting you.

Here are the most popular types of scams everyone should be aware of.

1. CONGRATULATIONS, YOU’VE BEEN SHORTLISTED TO WIN!
These scams are very popular on social media platforms. The scammer targets brands that host competitions, specifically competitions that require you to comment on the post to enter. To make you believe they are part of the brand’s team, the scammer will create a separate Facebook page with a logo that looks either identical or very similar to the actual business or brand that is hosting the competition. The scammer will then respond to participants by letting them know they’ve been shortlisted and request their personal details.

If this happens to you, click on the sender’s name. If you’re directed to a different page, with barely any comments, or any posts, you will know it is a scam. As a rule, businesses will only contact you if you have won.

Related article: Help! My identity has been stolen

2. THE FAKE PROOF OF PAYMENT
These scams are common with those who sell items online. Once the seller and buyer agree to the price, the buyer says they’ll make a deposit into the seller’s account. Although the money does not reflect in the seller’s account, they do receive proof of payment from the buyer. The seller then goes ahead and completes the transaction only to realise that the ‘deposit’ was never made and no money has come into their account.



3. RENOVATORS WHO DO DISAPPEARING ACTS
During the pandemic many have stopped travelling, socialising, and spending unnecessarily, which leaves more money for home renovations. Scammers advertise their business on social media pages and use images from the internet, claiming it as their work. The prices seem cheap and the testimonials look amazing, so it seems legit. These scammers will go as far as to come to your house, take measurements and say all the right things. You’re confident you’re making the right choice so you sign their contract and pay the usual 50% deposit. They arrive when they say they will and start on the job. BUT as soon as the money clears in their account, they disappear.

Do your research thoroughly, especially if you have to part with large sums of money. Do they have an online presence other than social media? Ask if anyone has heard about them, get a few more quotes to compare how business is meant to be done. As a rule, you should only pay the full amount once the work is complete.

4. YOU’VE GOT THE JOB!
Unemployment is high, so these types of scams are very popular. If you’ve been applying for jobs and suddenly receive a message requesting payment or personal documents to˚ proceed with the job application, be aware. Once you do what they ask for and go to the building to start your new job, they are nowhere to be found.

When you’re applying for a job, no company will request payment of any kind, not even a recruiter. Recruiters get paid by the company searching for staff, not by the one looking for a job. Always do as much research about the company as possible.

5. I’VE MORE THAN TRIPLED MY INVESTMENT WITH X
We’ve all seen these messages on social media accounts claiming that after investing just R500, for example, they’ve received R3000 back. The message will often tag someone else and will appear to be a type of testimonial. Here’s an example: “Receiving $5 500 after investing $500 was what I never expected. Thanks for putting a smile on my face @someonesname”.

There is no easy way to make large sums of money fast, and trusting someone who you’ve never met will always be dangerous.



6. WHATSAPP GROUP’S THAT PROMISE MONEY TO PARTICIPANTS
This scam usually gets confused with a Stokvel. Five or more members join a WhatsApp group and all pay a sum of money into an account. After a certain amount of time, members hope to then withdraw their profits. Members are further encouraged to sell the idea to newcomers to earn even more money. Needless to say, they never get to withdraw money and are left with nothing.

7. LOVE YOU BUT NEED MONEY FOR DATA AND AIRTIME AND A PLANE TICKET AND...
It’s tough to find love, pandemic or no pandemic. So when love finally comes your way, you grab it with both hands. This is exactly what scammers want you to do.

Often scammers will lurk around on dating sites, initiate conversation and make their victims trust them enough to share everything. The catch? These scammers often live very far away and ‘want so badly to see you’ and contact you but they need money to buy airtime or data, and eventually a plane ticket. Months later all you’ll be left with is a broken heart and an empty wallet.

Related article: Things to keep in mind when dating online

WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK OUT FOR?
As a general rule, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Here’s a quick summary of what you should be looking out for.

1. Job applications will never cost you money.
2. If someone loves you, they won’t demand money.
3. There is no such thing as ‘getting rich fast’.
4. Research, research, and more research will get you the answers you need before making big decisions that involve money.
5. Businesses will never ask for your details if you’ve been shortlisted. Only winners will be contacted. When in doubt, contact the business advertising the competition directly.
6. If you’re selling items online, insist on cash on delivery or collection. Real buyers won’t have a problem with this.