That isn’t exactly accurate; some businesses do put consumers into competitions, especially around the holidays. When was the last time you heard of someone winning a $500 Amazon gift card that wasn’t a ruse?
Before you click any links and become a victim of hackers, ask yourself the following questions.
- Is the Email Account Legitimate?
Free Gift cards scams are popular among con artists because they are timeless and may deliver a large sum of money with little effort. They don’t promise gift cards for obscure businesses; instead, they go for the major brands like Amazon and eBay!
They can be certain that many of the receivers are site consumers who are more likely to fall for the scam.
- Is there any pixelation in the images?
Scammers don’t always utilise high-quality photographs, thus images may appear pixelated on different devices.
This also applies to logos. Companies that are well-known will not provide pixelated copies of their own logos. If the pieces are blurry, the fraudster is most likely using a low-resolution logo he or she found on the internet.
If graphics won’t load, it’s a hint the message could be fake, but it’s not a guarantee. It’s possible that this is due to communication troubles. However, just because images are high-definition does not guarantee an email is authentic.
- Are there any grammatical or punctuation errors?
This is true for ostensible competitions distributed by email and phone, as well as any websites to which they connect.
To ensure that its messages are well-written, every corporation half decent will hire a copywriter or editor. Scammers don’t bother with this degree of expertise. To spot poor spelling and punctuation, you don’t need a Creative Writing degree.
- Does it necessitate the submission of personal information that isn’t required?
When it comes to scamming people, fraudsters may not always rely on you clicking on the link. Although ransomware can be placed on your computer, many people eagerly offer their personal information nevertheless.
You may be sent to a login screen that appears quite similar to the genuine thing.
- Does the Message Have a Personal Touch?
Your aunt and uncle sent you a message about earning a gift card by just clicking on a link or retweeting a post, which is wonderful.
But, nowadays that you think about it, why don’t they just talk like regular people?
Because it would be too weird if all of the communications were addressed to “Chris” or “Emma,” cybercriminals employ impersonal texts to keep a fraud going.