A scam is a dishonest way to make money by deceiving people. Scammers use a variety of techniques, including flattery and emotional manipulation, to draw you in.
Anyone can fall for a scam – it’s no reflection on your intelligence – but if you know what to look out for, you’re less likely to be taken in.
Some scams are very clever and they can be hard to spot. Things to look out for include:
1. Scammer offers something that are very rare
confidential offers that you’re told not to tell family or friends about.
Something out of the blue, or unexpected
As a general rule, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
2. Scammers say there’s a PROBLEM or a PRIZE.
prizes that ask you to send money up front to claim your winnings
Some will lie and say you won money in a lottery but have to pay a fee to get it.
3. Scammers PRESSURE you to act immediately.
time-limited offers that ask you to act quickly
Scammers want you to act before you have time to think.
companies that call you repeatedly and stay on the phone a long time
4. Scammers tell you to PAY in a specific way.
requests to share your bank account details or verify a password or PIN
5. Scammers PRETEND to be from an organization you know.
Scammers often pretend to be contacting you on behalf of the government.
They use technology to change the phone number that appears on your caller ID. So the name and number you see might not be real.
They might threaten to arrest you, sue you,or deport you. They might say your computer is about to be corrupted.
But genuine law enforcement officers will not ask for your bank account number or password through phone calls in investigation of cases, or ask for guarantee money for asset test.
If in doubt, please call the “Anti-Scam Helpline 18222” for advice.
Reference:
Anti-Deception Coordination Centre
https://www.adcc.gov.hk/en-hk/alerts-detail/alerts-1511617019837239297.html
