As technology is advancing, so is cybercrime. Hackers and scammers are finding new ways to get your hard-earned cash. Here’s how to spot them and stop them.
Fraudsters use ‘phishing emails’ to try and get details without looking suspicious. These emails may be asking you to log in to something or take you to a fraudulent website and enter your details. This is the main way the scammers get peoples details. These can be hard to spot, it’ll take a keen eye to find. Scams can also be carried out through SMS, the same way as through an email. Users are tricked into downloading malware and putting details straight into a scammer’s hands. With this in mind, you may wish to check out this post over on Cell Phone Deal about phone security, and the steps you need to take in order to make sure that your device is as secure as possible, and you know what to look out for online when it comes to security.
When buying a car in person, there are other warning signs to look out for. For example, sellers who only have one key or little service history is an immediate sign of a dodgy deal. You should always check the service history of the car to make sure its been serviced properly and looked after. Sellers who insist on cash payments can sometimes be up to something, if you can, pay for a car with a card every time.
Before purchasing a used car, try and find out as much as possible about it. Think what price the car should be, if its drastically cheaper then it may not be legitimate. Make sure the V5 matches all the information given, try and meet the seller at their home address so you can see if the V5 is accurate.
Another common scam people face is when buying a car from abroad. Scammers may ask for a prepayment to ‘reserve’ the car, when actually this could just be stealing your money. It’s risky to buy a used car without properly looking at it first, so buying from abroad can be a big issue.
If you can, try to buy from well-established and trusted dealerships, like Car Hunters, instead of general sellers. This way, you can be sure that the vehicle is in good condition and will have a full-service history. Dealerships have experience of selling cars, so you can be assured that this is a safer option.
