Fraud has become increasingly common in Sweden. In 2023, the proceeds of crime for fraud increased by as much as 22 percent compared to the previous year. The total criminal profits landed at SEK 7.5 billion.
New technology has given fraudsters new tools to exploit to trick people out of money or sensitive information. More and more advanced fraud methods are emerging, not least on the internet.
Google has now released information about some of these new scams – and what you can do to avoid falling for them.
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Scam links and websites
One of the scams that the tech giant warns about is scam links and websites in Google’s search results.
They are created to mislead people into thinking they are on a legitimate site. The end goal may be to get the visitor to download malicious files, provide sensitive information or purchase something fraudulent.
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Fake customer service
Google points out a particularly common tactic used by fraudsters, namely faking a customer service site.
“Customer service scams are a common tactic used by fraudsters. They create fake landing pages that mimic official customer service sites to trick users into giving out sensitive information or paying for non-existent services,” the company writes in a blog posts.
Photo: Unsplash
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How to stay safe – Google’s advice
To avoid being deceived by scam links and websites, there are several things you should keep in mind when surfing the internet.
“Always try to find information on the company’s official website. It is important to be wary of information from unofficial sources and carefully review subtle typos, strange formatting, unusual fonts or inappropriate emojis – these can be warning signs of a fake page,” writes Google and concludes :
“Before visiting a website, use Google’s ‘About This Result’ feature (the three dots next to a search result). It provides valuable insight into the source, which can help you determine if it’s a legitimate landing page.”
So it is important to be about you and around you when you surf the internet. Avoid making hasty decisions and always double check before visiting or doing anything on a website.
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