By Plato 
As technology continues to get more and more advanced, unfortunately, so do the scams. There are endless amounts of different scams out there targeting people in many different ways, usually with the main purpose of stealing sensitive information or money from them. This is usually done by either posing as someone in a position of trust or authority, or taking the time to manipulate and build trust so the person feels like they are helping them. We’re here to talk about just 3 of the most common types of scams out there that you need to know about, from broker scams through to romance scams.
Romance Scams
First up we have romance scams, which involve a person approaching someone showing romantic interest, gradually build their trust and then eventually scam them out of money. This most often happens on social media or dating apps. Romance scams don’t happen overnight, but usually will involve weeks of “getting to know each other”, then once the trust and story is built, they’ll begin to make the move of stealing money. Signs of a romance scam involve someone not being verified on dating apps, not wanting phone calls or video calls, living far away or not being able to meet up in person, then finally making money requests. Asking for money for tickets to see them or to help an unwell family member are examples of the manipulation tactics used. So, if someone won’t meet in person, or even does meet in person and asks for financial help early on, then these are signs of a romance scam.
Broker Scams
Next we have broker scams, which is where people will pretend to be brokers in financial industries like pensions, insurance, trading or cryptocurrencies, and approach people to tell them they can help maximise their investments. It’s really important to remember that registered and legitimate brokers will not approach you with any “get rich quick” tactics, nor will they need or ask for specific financial details, or access to any of your finances. You’ll likely be asked to transfer funds to a “secure bank account” and then the investment will be made on your behalf. Sometimes you will see a small initial return as promised to encourage you to invest more, then more money will be stolen. Sometimes, after the first set of money is sent, you’ll never hear from them again. If you are ever approached by a broker who promises to increase your investments and help you make money quick, run the other way. If you do think you have been involved in a broker scam, contact your bank and investment fraud lawyers ASAP.
Phishing Scams
Last but not least, we have phishing scams, which involves you being sent legitimate looking emails that replicate emails from large establishments and encourage you to click a link in the email. This might be that your business account on Facebook has been banned, it could say that there has been questionable bank activity that you need to verify or it may be an email that looks like it’s from the government. These emails will usually include some element of fear or urgency to get you to click. So, you should be very cautious of clicking any links in emails, and if you’re unsure about whether something is legitimate, go on the actual website (not clicking anything in the email) and then give them a call to find out whether the email is legitimate. Clicking links in emails can be very dangerous and it can result in malware being installed in your device, so it’s better to be safe than sorry with any email you receive.