As an immigrant in a new country, you may be unfamiliar with the many types of online scams that are out there. Scammers understand this and would often target immigrants with schemes designed to steal their money or personal information.
In this blog post, we will discuss 15 of the most common online scams targeting immigrants. We will give you examples of each scam, explain what they try to get from you, and tell you how to avoid them. Stay safe online and don’t let scammers take advantage of you!
Phishing Scams
Phishing scams are emails or websites that look legitimate but are actually fake. They are designed to trick you into giving them your personal information, such as your bank account number or password. Be very careful about any emails or websites that ask for this type of information. If you’re not sure if something is real, contact the company directly to verify.
SMS Phishing
Similar to an email phishing scam is an SMS phishing scam. With this type of scam, you will receive a text message that looks like it’s from a legitimate company or person. The message will usually try to get you to click on a link or provide personal information. Again, be very careful about any texts you receive, and never click on any links unless you are absolutely sure they are safe.
Relative Needs Help Email or Text Scam
As you are new to the U.S. and far away from your home county, be very careful of the “relative that needs help” emails or texts. With these types of scams, you will receive a message from someone you know that needs help because they are stranded in a foreign country or have been in an accident and need money for medical bills. They will beg and plead with you to send them money as soon as possible.
Do not fall for this scam! If you receive one of these messages, call the person they claim to be to verify their story before doing anything.
Fake Shopping Websites
Fake shopping sites are websites that are designed to look like legitimate online stores. They may even have the same name or logo as a real website. However, these sites are usually created for the sole purpose of stealing your credit card information. If you’re not sure if a website is legitimate, do some research before making any purchases.
Another version of a this type of scam would involve a website that actually receives your payment from either credit cards or Paypal accounts. Except that afterwards, no product will be shipped. This is more difficult to discern as a fake because they do have a working website, though the products never arrive. These scammers rely on delay tactics, hoping people will forget or quit chasing them from frustration.
The third version of shopping scams involves the setting up of online stores on a real platform like Amazon or Walmart. These stores may have thousands of products available. But like the above cases, the goods will never be shipped. Again, these scammers take advantage of the delay between the credit card company processing the orders and the platform learning that the goods never shipped. While these scams normally do not affect online shoppers financially, as Walmart and Amazon would issue refunds, it does create annoyance for shoppers and cost the platforms money.
Malicious Software or Malware Scams
Malware is a type of software that is designed to damage your computer or steal your personal information. Malware can be installed on your computer without your knowledge if you click on a fake email attachment or visit a malicious website. Once installed, malware can be difficult to remove. To avoid this type of scam, never click on any attachments from senders you don’t know and be very careful about the websites you visit.
Sometimes this Malware will be attached to legitimate programs that are commonly downloaded. They may run ads or use other search engine tactics to get malicious sites to outrank the legitimate download sites. As most people tend to click the first results, these fake sites will often get a good number of visits before they’re being found out and reported.
Work From Home Scams
With this type of scam, you will receive an email or see an online ad promising a work-from-home opportunity. The catch is that you have to pay a fee to get started. These fees can be several hundred dollars, and there is usually no way to get your money back once you have paid.
The fees may be classified as required training materials but once paid, there is either nothing transferred and they will stop replying to your inquiries.
If you’re looking for a work-from-home job, do your research and only apply for positions that are legitimate.
Credit Repair
Debt is a huge stressor in most people’s lives. When someone comes offering to help you get rid of your debt quickly and easily, it can be tempting to listen. However, shortcuts to credit repair don’t exist.
These fraudsters will con you by saying they can get in touch with your creditors to negotiate lower interest rates or even erase some of what you owe. Of course, this “premium service” comes at the cost of an upfront fee that you’ll never see again.
Unfortunately, this scam mostly affects people who are most desperate and willing to explore other options.
Bank Account Scams
This scam is similar to the Fake Shopping site scam. Here, fake websites are set up to create the illusion of a traditional bank and its subsidiaries. They will use the same images of a well-known financial institution, with the goal of getting people to input their bank account information so they can gain access and clean out the account.
Another version of this scam will see someone posing as a representative of your bank. They may even have some basic information about you. They will reach out via phone or email asking for verification of your account information. If you provide it, they will have access to your account. They will quickly do an electronic funds transfer to a bank account and before the money can be returned, it will have already been withdrawn by the scammers.
Nigerian Scam
The Nigerian scam is a type of advanced fee fraud. This scam typically involves someone promising the victim a large sum of money if they help the scammer transfer money out of Nigeria. The victims are usually asked to provide personal information, bank account information, or pay a fee in order to receive the money.
This scam has been around for many years and is still being used today. The scammers will often pose as a Nigerian Prince or someone else who is in a position of power. They may also claim to be from a charitable organization.
To avoid this scam, don’t respond to any emails or other communications from people you don’t know. If you’re contacted by someone claiming to be a Nigerian Prince or other high-ranking individuals, do not give them any personal information.
Fake Charities
A fake charity scam is when someone creates a fake charity to collect money from donors. These scammers will often use a real charity’s name or a similar-sounding name. They may also set up a fake website that looks like the charity’s real website.
To avoid this scam, only donate to reputable charities that you know and trust. If you’re unsure about a charity, check to see if it’s a registered nonprofit organization.
Employment Scams
This online scam involves the posting of fake job ads on job boards or websites. The scammer will often use the name of a real company or pose as a recruitment agency. The goal is to get people to send them their personal information or pay a fee to apply for the job.
To avoid this scam, only apply for jobs through reputable sources. If you’re contacted by someone claiming to be from a recruitment agency, do some research to make sure it’s a legitimate agency.
You can often get verification the offer or posting is real from three larger platforms such as
Online Dating Scams
A romance scam is a type of online dating fraud where the scammers pose as potential matches and gain the victim’s affection. They will then ask for money, usually for a fake emergency.
These scammers often create fake profiles on dating sites and apps. They may use a stolen picture or pretend to be someone they’re not.
To avoid these scams, don’t send money to someone you’ve only met online. If they ask for money, stop communicating with them. You can also do a reverse image search on Google to see if their profile picture is being used on other websites.
Overseas Dating Websites
Some sites will offer to connect you with overseas men or women to meet and date. While some of these sites are legitimate, a large portion do not have the best intentions. These sites typically push you to pay for test messages sent or give money upfront before connecting you to speak with the overseas contact.
As an immigrant, you may find it initially harder to date someone as you are only adjusting to a new culture. Even so, avoid using these sites and instead get out in the community and find someone with similar interests.
Fake Antivirus Software
Anti-virus software is on about every computer to protect you against viruses and other malware. However, there are fake versions of this software that will actually infect your computer with viruses. Once infected, the scammer will then demand money to remove the virus they just put on your computer. This can be especially costly if you have important files or data on your computer.
Stick with name-brand products like Avast, McAfee, or Norton anti virus software.
Social Media Identity Theft
Cybercriminals love social media accounts as they are a huge source of personal information that can be used to scam other people. They will hack into an account and then send out friend requests to the victim’s friends list. Once they have access to a few accounts, they will start sending messages asking for money or personal information.
To avoid this scam, never click on suspicious links or download attachments from people you don’t know or rarely speak with. Your high school classmate from 20 years ago you never speak with regularly is not suddenly sending you files to download.
False Surveys
False surveys are a way to get personal information from you or to get you to click on a malicious link. The scammer will create a fake survey that looks like it’s from a reputable company. They will often use the name of a well-known company or brand in the title to make it look more legitimate.
The survey will ask you for personal information such as your name, address, phone number, email address, etc. They may also include a link to a survey in the body of the email. If you click on the link, it will take you to a fake website that looks like the real thing. The website will then ask you for even more personal information or try to get you to download a file.
To avoid this scam, don’t click on links in emails from people you don’t know. If you’re unsure about a link, you can hover over it with your mouse to see where it will take you. If the link looks suspicious, don’t click on it.
Quick Tips to Avoid Online Scams
Don’t fall victim to online internet scams by following these tips
- Be careful about sharing personal details on social media.
- Don’t overshare personal information or details about your daily routine.
- Never click on links from people you don’t know.
- Be especially wary of job offers and other opportunities that require you to pay a fee upfront.
- Shop at a legitimate E commerce website
- Don’t share login credentials or other private information
- Use unique passwords for all sites
Be Aware of Your Online Presence to Avoid Online Scams
As immigrants, you are dealing with the challenges of living in the USA and learning its culture. While avoiding scams seem like something you don’t want to add to your to-do list, being aware of these types of online scams will protect you and your family as you settle in.
