|
|
Recently, the number and amount of losses from internet investment fraud have increased rapidly. Through social media, forums, instant messengers, or other online platforms, fraudsters attract netizens to invest by providing investment plans with a high return and low risk. However, most of these investment plans are inexistent or full of traps. At first, fraudsters may let victims make profits to gain their trust. However, once victims invest more money and want to cash out, fraudsters will ask for expensive handling fees or delay the payment using different excuses. Eventually, victims will find themselves suffering huge losses.
Features of internet investment fraud
- Fraudsters usually make as many friends as possible and flaunt their wealth to gain trust. They may also form close relationships with victims to entice them to invest.
- Fraudsters may pose as experienced investment consultants or fund managers and claim to have “insider investment information” to entice victims to make investments.
- Fraudulent investment applications and websites may present victims with bogus transactions and returns. The fraudulent investment apps are not available on official app stores, and the URLs of fraudulent investment websites are not searchable.
- Fraudsters may send phishing emails or text messages impersonating banks or other organizations, embedding links or QR codes that direct them to phish websites that look like official websites to hijack victims’ accounts and drain their money.
- When victims attempt to cash out, fraudsters will fabricate excuses such as frozen accounts, fines for illegal investments, an additional service charge to process the cashing out, and so on to cause victims to suffer further losses.
10 Tips for preventing internet investment fraud
- Beware of investment plans recommended by people you know online or through social media.
- Call the hotline number listed on the official website to confirm the caller’s identity.
- Keep vigilant against investment plans with unrealistically high returns and low risk.
- Ensure you know the product’s features before investing.
- Raise your vigilance before signing any investment authorizations.
- Never trust "insider investment information" online.
- Don't click on any attachments or links in emails that are unexpected or suspicious for any reason.
- Be suspicious of any official-looking email message or phone call that asks for personal or financial information.
- Avoid visiting unknown websites or downloading software from untrusted sources. These sites often host malware that will automatically install (often silently) and compromise your digital devices, including mobile phones and computers.
- Never send money or personal information to someone you don't know. Scammers use email or text messages to trick you into giving them your personal or financial information.
|
|
|
|
|
|