Open Source Intelligence 101

As the internet expands so do the online scams and how sophisticated they are becoming. What online scams all have in common is that they prey on your fear, greed, and ignorance – here are some of the most sophisticated online scams on the internet that everyone seems to fall for. Phishing – One of the most popular scams out there is email phishing. Victims of phishing scams will be tricked into giving out their passwords through legitimate emails and seemingly trustworthy businesses. According to a recent study, nearly 100 000 attempts of phishing are reported each month. Learn more about phishing scams here. The Nigerian Prince Scam – One of the oldest online scams in the books is the Nigerian prince scam. You’ll receive an email from a Nigerian prince or investor offering you a chance of financial gain, the catch is you need to pay a small portion upfront or give out your private banking information. Ticket Fraud – Victims of the ticket fraud scam will be...

In this day and age, it is so easy for criminals to use a digital device to carry out a traditional crime. A traditional crime such as blackmail which, back in the day, would usually be done using newspaper cuttings collaged together to create a ransom note is now being done in a completely different way using the power of digital devices as well as the internet. These days, it is so much easier for criminals to just use a computer to carry out a range of crimes such as, blackmail, identity theft, social media scams, ticket scams, dating bots, data theft and so much more. Some examples of other traditional crimes where a digital device can be used include instant messaging, which is often used to commit harassment. Criminals also continue to pose as your bank where they will SMS you and try to scam you into paying fake accounts, etc. Email is also used by cybercriminals on a regular basis to commit fraud by using phishing scams. It seems that the list is endless and ...

Online ticket scammers usually target various, popular events or destinations to try and take advantage or all the people who are desperately rushing and searching for tickets for buy. Fake tickets for various events include: - Concerts - Conferences - Plays - Sporting events - Live performances - Shows - Flight or train tickets - Other special events In general, all the tickets that these scammers sell are completely fake. Other times the tickets don’t exist, to begin with, so you pay but never receive anything. Since 2015 online ticket scams have been increasing and occurring more often. Scammers have been having a field day because of all the popular shows and events that are happening these days. Here are some tell-tale signs to lookout for: - The prices are much higher than the regular ticket price OR the prices are suspiciously low. - Before you buy tickets from a website, always check the contact details to make sure it’s legitimate. - If t...