Open Source Intelligence 101

Social media has made it possible for people to interact with each other from all over the world – everyone knows what everyone else is doing, where they’re going on vacation, when they got married, etc. However, social media networks have also made it possible for more users to become victims of scams. Over the last few years, social media scams have basically quadrupled with fake accounts popping up everywhere. Don’t become the next victim of a scam – here’s how to spot, prevent and deal with social media scams: - There is an ad or poster offering an amazing deal or job that sounds too good to be true. - A job, prize or loan application asks you to pay upfront beforehand. - A popular company uses a Yahoo or Gmail email account to contact you. - You are urged to act immediately! - They ask you to share your private information. - You get a friend request from a “friend” but they ask you random questions or for money. How to prevent social media scams fro...

On the internet everything is easy, from ordering takeaways to paying your bills. However the stakes become a little higher when you’re looking to apply for a loan. When it comes to a personal loan, you need to provide private information to someone you might not even know, so you have to be sure to be completely safe online, especially when you’re thinking of loaning a large amount of money. What are the risks when it comes to borrowing money online? Here are the three major risks that you could be facing if you do not look out for the red flags when borrowing money online: LOSING MONEY This is the most obvious risk. Fake loan providers will easy set up a fake business, promise you the world and then charge you fake fees to approve your loan. In the end you don’t ever get what you paid for. PAYING TOO MUCH Even if you do end up getting a legitimate loan, you may end up paying an arm and a leg to a bad loan provider. A loan provider that is reputable wi...

When you’re stuck in a situation where you can’t pay medical bills or your car needs repairs that aren’t covered by your insurance, a personal loan might be an easy answer to all your problems. However, you always need to be wary when it comes to personal loan scams; luckily there are a few red flags to look out for to help you spot the fakes and frauds! Here are the 8 signs of a personal loan scam… 1. There’s no credit check. All legitimate personal loan lenders will do a credit check before to ensure that you can repay the money. A scammer will not be interested in your credit score because they’re typically after your personal information instead. 2. The personal loan lender isn’t registered . In South Africa, as well as most other places, you have to register to be a loan provider. If you search for a loan provider or business and find they are not registered, you’ve probably found a fraudulent website! 3. The loan offer isn’t complete. All loan lenders n...