Scamming Should Be Criminal

Are you a freelancer or business owner that has been targeted by a convincing scam? Hi and welcome to the scammed support group - you're not alone. Let's start off with why you were targeted.

Ah, the coveted scam. If you can honestly say you have never been allured to a scammer's smarmy hoax, please let me know how you became so smart in the comments below. If you're like me and most other people, either you've been lured into a scammer's den only to figure out what they were up to right before giving your personal information...

OR

You have straight-up been taken for whatever these would-be robbers wanted from you. Either way, ouch. I'm sorry. It hurts to be scammed and I am writing this because I think it should be a legal matter.

Let's discuss what different types of scams look like, how you can avoid them, and what should be done about these criminals in the wild west of the internet.

Scams come in all shapes and sizes, but they share one common thread.

You've heard it before: "Don't share your personal information with strangers online." Yet a scam can look very legit - how foolish are you for falling victim to such an obvious ploy?

Everyone suffers from hindsight bias when it comes to learning about friends and loved ones being scammed, but do they actually know what to look out for?

A research study recently posted by the Standford titled,"Exposed to Scams What Seperates Victims From Non-victims?" exposes that out of the 53% of people that engage with scams, a whopping 23% were victimized. That means that scammers have a nearly 1 in 4 chance of landing their next victim.

Here are some of the most common types of scams based on the research:

• Online purchase

• Tech support

• Employment

• Fake check/money order

• Sweepstakes/lottery/prizes

• Debt collection

• Phishing

• Tax collection

Not to say that online scams are limited to these formats, but consider these outlets the next time someone approaches you with a deal that seems too good to be true... It most likely is a scam.

Scammers don't only want your money, they want your sweet, sweet time.

Is it rude to ask blunt questions to someone that messages you out of the blue wanting your time and money? Not only is it not rude but you should get used to it as it is the new norm.

Looking for the perfect job?

Posting picture-perfect images to your social media accounts?

Receiving a call/text from a random tech support company?

The next time someone contacts you through one of these legitimate platforms, don't forget to stop, drop and roll. Continue reading to find out what on earth I could possibly mean.

STOP: for about 5-minutes and think about how a scammer could use your interests and already publicly available information to wiggle into your life, take up some of your time, and convince you that you need whatever it is they're promising.

Do this whenever someone seems to be offering you your dream job, ideal collaboration or a fix for something you didn't even know was a problem.

DROP: a few key questions that will make any scammer pee their pants a little:

1. Where are you located and can I have a link to your website?

• These devious internet worms will do all they can to "earn" access to your money. If a scammer won't cough up where they're from or offer a link to a valid website, they are for sure only in it to win your bank account information.

2. Can you provide me any references to your work or business?

• Even if someone has a million fake reviews, should you consider them as your next tax specialist? Heck no. How can you spot fake reviews? Well if none of the reviews are linked to a legitimate company or user profiles you're in for a scammy time with your new friend. Do as much research as it takes before giving anyone your personal details.

3. Can I confirm your details with the BBB and FTC or your company?

• If their response is anything like "I don't know why you need to do that. I've explained everything to you here," please start running for the hills. If they are at all apprehensive, they're up to no good.

4. Can I have a link to you and your company's LinkedIn profile?

• LinkedIn is not only the most gangster way to make business connections, it's also a great way to verify facts. Even if someone sends you a LinkedIn page to what seems like a real business, don't dive right in. If their page has no content, interactions, or followers then you should consider doing business elsewhere.

ROLL: with the punches. Oh and trust me, there will be many back and forth verbal punches with scammers.

Usually, once you have found someone out, they will get nasty, and downright ludicrous at times. Don't take it personally. They probably realize that not only did you waste THEIR time but that you might very well report them and get them booted off of whatever platform they contacted you on.

That leads to my final point...

Can we please have international scammer jail? Oh please, can we?

Like an overly excited kid in a candy store that has yet to grow in my permanent teeth, I love searching for and reporting scams.

You should too.

In an ideal world, I would be an international scam police officer that goes from region to region identifying and arresting scammers. But alas, here I am a humble writer that has a passion for justice, a keen eye for nonsense, and the internet at my disposal.

If you're anything like me then we can do something about this type of criminal activity. I recommend reporting any scams you come across to the moderators of the website where they took place. The more you report, the better our online communities become (of course you need a legitimate reason to report anyone online).

If moderators are like mall security, then the FTC is like the police. I also recommend reporting any scams you come across, platform-specific or not, to the Federal Trade Commission's website.

Stealing a widowed mature woman's life savings is a crime.

Stealing a college kid's identity is a crime.

Stealing access to your neighbor's at-home camera system is a crime.

So...why isn't it enforced?

Why don't we have ways to deal with domestic and international scamming criminals? We all can come together as a community and give internet criminals the boot as we say hello to a new age of the internet. One where we all thrive for safe communications that protect our best interests.

Who's with me?

*********

Don't forget to let me know you want more content like this by clicking the 'Subscribe For Updates' button below and entering your email. You'll be joining a quickly growing group of modern copywriting enthusiasts who know exactly when my articles hit.

Read my article The Thick Skin Of Freelancing: 7 Tips which offers tips on how you can make it in today's freelance copywriting climate while maintaining your sanity.

If you enjoyed this article I can help you create similar content. Below is a link to my contact page.

Subscribe For Updates

Request Material For Your Business