Identity theft: When a thief gathers private information about you and uses that information to replace you, it is called identity theft. There is no age limit on identity theft. Thieves may steal the identities of young people and children too. Mostly, the identities of 18-29-year-old people.
A thief does not need a lot of personal information to shop with your credit card, open a bank account, borrow money and even commit a crime. Your Turkish Identification Number, your password, your address, your mother’s maiden name, and your bank account number or PIN Code are sufficient. Fraudsters try to manipulate you into giving them your personal information. You can save yourself from being victimized by these crimes by learning what to do and what to keep in mind.
Phishing: The word phishing, created by combining “password” and “fishing”, means to obtain a person’s password or credit card details through illegal means. In this type of fraud, which originates from the idea that when you cast a fishing rod, a fish will definitely get hooked, password hunters usually reach people via e-mail, etc., and ask for their credit card details, for example, as if they were an official institution. When people respond to this “hunt”, their accounts, passwords, and personal information are stolen.
The most dangerous types of fraud are the ones that look genuine. Phishing works the same way. Phishers send unsolicited e-mails pretending to be a company you trust, your bank, or an online shop. These look as if they are notices from reputable companies, down to the sender’s address and logo. This fake e-mail is the “bait” and it usually contains a link to a fake website that looks like a company you trust. This website may ask for credit card numbers, Turkish Identity Numbers, or bank account information. If you bite the bait, you face financial damage and your identity is stolen. Thus, you give enough information to the fraudsters to access your account and money. Phishers use this information for their malicious goals or sell it to other criminals.
Fake e-mails: Fake e-mails are another type of fraud. Some fraudsters will try to take your money and promise you big money in exchange for your “investment”, a donation to a fake charity organization, or buying a product very cheap. Fraudsters who send you the e-mail offer to pay millions of dollars to your bank account in exchange for a very little amount of money. If you respond to the initial offer, new situations for you to pay more or for the promised amount to be delayed. In the end, the fraudster will disappear with your money.
Another type of fraud targeting consumers offers you a chance to buy a lottery ticket to an international lottery and win by using a “secret system.” Or an e-mail announces that you won a lottery that you have never entered and asks for your bank account or a “process fee” to transfer the money to your account. The secret system, of course, does not exist and most of these lotteries mentioned in the e-mails are fake.
Spam: Another tool used by fraudsters is spam and unsolicited e-mails, e.g., e-mail, IM, greeting e-cards. Spam mails may contain links to fake websites or advertisements for products of no use. The most significant point of being safe online is to act with common sense and learn how to recognize and prevent spam and fraud.