How to avoid scams recommendations by MyTrendingStories writing platform? A terrible scam-azon (Yes, that deal really is too good to be true): How it works: You’re doing some online shopping, as one does. You see what looks like a great deal on Amazon, a site you totally trust, and place an order. What’s really going on: The seller’s a scammer; they’re going to send you a counterfeit product, or nothing at all, and they’ll still get your money. The big picture: These scammers take advantage of Amazon’s policies to profit. They post delivery dates that are three or four weeks from the date of purchase. Since Amazon pays its sellers every two weeks, the scammers will receive payment long before you discover that it was a scam. This scam technique hurts not just buyers, but other sellers as well. Rob Ridgeway, who sells board games through Amazon, complains that fake sellers are stealing his business. He’s reported many of the scammers to Amazon, but more just keep coming. “I continue to play ‘whack-a-mole,’ trying to remove fake sellers,” Ridgeway told BuzzFeed News. Avoidance maneuver: Watch out for new sellers (also known as “just launched” sellers), and take a careful look at the seller’s reviews before you buy from him or her. If you do fall victim to a scam, contact Amazon; their A-to-Z guarantee says that they have to refund you if you received a fake product (or none at all).

News from Mytrendingstories blogging platform: Avoid listings that guarantee you wealth, financial success, or that will help you get rich fast. Stay clear of listings that offer you high income for part-time hours. They will do none of the above. If it sounds too good to be true, you can be sure it is. Also, read any “offers” you get very carefully. One candidate for employment got a very detailed job offer from an employer. The only problem was that she hadn’t applied for the job, and buried deep within the lines was a request for her bank account information so that the employer could pay her. It was a scam, of course, but with some of the well-written ones, it can be hard to tell. Read the fine print and never share your personal information. In a previous blog post, “3 Types of Fraud to Avoid,” we discussed some of the most common types of fraud taking place today. Now that you are more familiar with those types of fraud, we want to provide you with more detailed tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of these three common ways fraudsters steal financial information.

Mytrendingstories anti-scam advice: After gaining a person’s trust, scammers often present a story of a personal hardship or struggle to get the victim to send money. And nearly as often, victims fall for the bait out of a mixture of generosity and what they believed was a genuine connection with their online partner. This is a mistake. You should never send money to someone online, particularly someone who you have never met in person. Additional tips to prevent you from becoming a victim of romance scams: Research the person’s photo/profile using online searches (like Google Image) to see if the material has been used elsewhere. Look out for poor grammar, spelling, unusual expressions and flowery language that don’t coincide with the person they are pretending to be. Ask a lot of questions and note any inconsistencies in current or past information they provided. Never provide personal information, including account, passport, social security or credit card numbers. New online scams pop up every week. While the internet has changed the world for the better in many ways, there is a downside. Find even more information at mytrendingstories scam.

MyTrendingStories discuss how to defeat scams: So what’s the point of final sale items? To ward off return-happy customers. According to e-commerce analytics site Invesp, 30% of products ordered online are returned, compared with 8% of items purchased in-store. Although you don’t want to miss out on a good deal, subscribing to a lot of email lists can mean an overflowing inbox. Sure, promotions have a short shelf life, but there most likely is another one down the pipeline. Instead of getting a case of FOMO about promotions, it’s best to sign up for promotions when you’re in the hunt for something. This way you can give your inbox a break and not be tempted by unnecessary sale items.

Fake calls from someone pretending to be from the Financial Ombudsman Service asking for personal financial details. The ombudsman will never call you out of the blue to ask for information – it’ll only be in touch if you’ve got a case with it already. You can find out more about financial scams on the Financial Conduct Authority’s website or for scams in general, see the Metropolitan Police’s Little Book of Big Scams, or the Citizens Advice website. Web security has come to the fore in recent years with major hacks resulting in millions of users’ account details and sensitive info being put at risk. Fortunately there’s a quick, free and easy way to check if your details have been compromised. The website HaveIBeenPwned? (‘pwned’ is geek-speak for being made a fool of – it’s pronounced ‘poned’) allows anyone to check if their accounts have been compromised in a number of known data breaches in recent times. Go to HaveIBeenPwned? and enter your email address. Enter the address you use at any sites you’re concerned may have been hacked – for example, the one you usually log in to LinkedIn with. It’ll tell you if your account’s been compromised. You’ll be shown a list of breaches you were ‘pwned’ in, with some background info on the hack, plus what data was compromised – eg, email address, password, date of birth, etc. Find even more info at https://www.youtube.com/c/MyTrendingStories.