How To Spot Phony Online Offers

We’ve all seen those emails or pop-up advertisements on our computer that seem too good to be true.

You’ve probably seen offers such as:

• You’ve won an all expenses paid trip to Europe!
• Buy an iPad for $25!
• Make $12,000 a month from your home!

If you’re looking for some more phony online offers, here’s a list of some of the top internet scams from this past year.

No matter what the offer is, no one wants to be a victim of a phony online offer. Most of the time, the people behind these offers are trying to steal valuable personal information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, bank account numbers and even your identity.

To help protect your bank accounts and identity, here area some tips on how to spot phony online offers.

The Offer Seems Too Good To Be True

If the offer seems too good to be true, then it’s probably an online scam. Most organizations are not freely giving away all expenses paid trips and pricy electronics for nothing.

The Offer Comes From An Unknown Organization

If the offer comes from an organization you’ve never heard of, then it’s probably a scam. Be very careful, sometimes scammers will use names that sound very similar to reputable companies and organizations.

You Never Signed Up For Anything

So you’ve won an iPad, but you never entered any contests to begin with. If this is the case, it’s probably a scam. Delete the email or close the pop-up window.

There Are No Contest Details

If you’ve really won something, there will be details explaining the sweepstakes and its rules. Most phony online offers don’t have any details.

The Offer Is From Overseas

If the offer is from a foreign country it’s probably a scam. Many scammers work out of countries overseas because it is difficult for U.S. law enforcement agencies to arrest them.

Spotting these signs will help protect you against phony online offers. Remember, if it seems too good to be true, it’s probably a scam.