Federal Trade Commission

Report Fraud (US)

Internet Crime Complaint Center (US)

Report cybercrime (EU)

Confidence/romance scam: criminal fakes romantic interest for gain/details. Avoid it: be aware, don't share personal info, don't send money.

Confidence or romance scam - Data vulnerability thermometer

Confidence or romance fraud stats

Confidence or romance fraud simplified

Tips to prevent confidence or romance fraud

Beware of strangers professing extreme feelings like “undying love,” or anything similar. Such scams are quite common and they prey on people who are emotionally susceptible.

Remain skeptical

Don’t wire money to someone you’ve never met before. It’s a simple rule, but it works. A stranger has no obligation to pay you back or even return the favor.

Be financially responsible

If you suspect someone’s pretending to be your relative, ask them personal questions first. Anything family related will do, like names of shared relatives, etc.

Be inquisitive

Confidence or romance scam

Tracking credit card fraud, with key stats, facts, figures, and tips to help safeguard your finances from scammers.

Credit card fraud - Data vulnerability thermometer

Credit card fraud stats

Credit card fraud simplified 

Tips to prevent credit card fraud

Ensure you’re purchasing from a reputable source by looking up the vendor online and on other websites. When was the business established? Where? By whom? Who is their statutory agent? And so on.

Do your research

Never comply with requests to provide your credit card information via email, text, or call. Authorities legitimately concerned with these things will never ask for you such information.

Don’t share your information

Before buying from any site, make sure it’s encrypted and uses the HTTPS protocol. Websites using HTTP protocols are unsafe and usually indicate a scam or a malicious site.

Check if the site is secure

Avoid paying on old, dated card readers or by using magnetic stripe swipe. Instead, use an EMV chip reader and PIN code. This reduces the risk of falling victim to counterfeit card fraud.

Use chip cards

Credit card fraud

If someone knows your full name, credit card’s account number, card verification number, and expiration date, they can use it to shop online or make other payments without having the card. Luckily, vendors can’t store your card’s verification code (the three-digit number on the back), so it’s unlikely to leak during a data breach. However, this also means that you should be extra careful to protect your verification code!

CNP (Card Not Present) fraud

When someone tries to apply for credit or a new credit card in your name, it’s called application fraud. This type of fraud usually goes in tandem with identity theft. Banks take measures to prevent this, but scammers can use your personal information to fake proof that they’re you. If this happens, you might start receiving statements saying that you owe money to the bank.

Application fraud

Counterfeit card fraud is an advanced technique when fraudsters duplicate your card. There are two ways to do this - skimming (copying your card’s information directly) or getting your card’s information through leaks and breaches. The duplicate might not work perfectly, but it’s often enough to convince vendors that there’s something wrong with the card. In this case, they can complete the transaction by hand using the credit card’s information.

Counterfeit card fraud

Account takeover is similar to application fraud. A scammer might use your personal information to contact the bank and pretend they’re you. They will ask the bank to change the address on your credit card and to send a replacement to the fake address. Once they have the new card, they can use it as they wish.

Account takeover

Types of credit card fraud

Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency 

National Cyber Security Center:

Denial of Service (DoS) attacks shut down devices/networks with too many requests. Avoid them by following these steps.

Denial of service (DoS) attacks - Data vulnerability thermometer

Denial of service crime stats

Denial of service simplified

Tips to prevent denial of service

Employing technology that’s built to sustain DoS attacks can help prevent DoS attacks.

Employ technology

Using anti-DDoS services is a great way to manage DoS risks.

Use specialized services

Building network firewalls or going “full cloud” can help prevent DoS attacks.

Build firewalls or go cloud

Cooperating with service providers to counter such attacks will go a long way.

Cooperate with service providers

Denial of service attack

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission  

Report Employment Discrimination (US)

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Recapping different discrimination types, causes, and preventive measures.

Discrimination: stay equal - Data vulnerability thermometer

Discrimination simplified

Tips to prevent discrimination

Discrimination is difficult to deal with, and can cause symptoms of depression. If you’re experiencing discrimination, try contacting a pshycologist to find healthy ways to cope.

Seek professional help

Family and friends can also help counteract the toll that daily discrimination can take.

Seek support systems

It’s illegal to discriminate. If someone’s discriminating against you, contact the authorities to let them know what’s going on.

Inform the authorities

Discrimination 

If someone mistreats or harasses a person because of their age, it’s called age discrimination. This type of discrimination is most common when applying for jobs or asking for raises. However, an individual may also experience age discrimination online or in real life situations.

Race discrimination involves mistreating or harassing someone because of their racial characteristics. Race discrimination includes racial slurs, withheld employment or other benefits, derogatory remarks about a person’s race or color, and other forms of harassment.

Race or color

Disability discriminiation is when someone mistreats or harasses a person with a disability. Disability discrimination can include offensive remarks about their disability and withheld employment or other benefits.

Disability 

Discriminating someone’s national origin involves harassing a person because of their or their spouse’s nationality. National origin discrimination may include offensive remarks about a person’s nationality, ethnicity, accent, or cultural habits and differences.

National origin 

Religious discrimination happens when a person is mistreated or harassed because of their sincerely held religious beliefs (e.g., making fun of someone who’s Jewish, Christian, or Muslim, etc.). Religious discrimination may include offensive remarks and harassment about a person’s beliefs or religious practices.

Religion

If someone mistreats or harasses a person because of their sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or pregnancy, it’s called sex discrimination. People who experience sex discrimination may experience offensive remarks, withheld employment or other benefits, unwelcome sexual advances, or other types of physical and sexual harassment. 

Types of discrimination

Tracking global extortion cases. Protect your digital identity and your dignity with these key prevention measures.

Extortion: protect your dignity - Data vulnerability thermometer

Extortion crime stats

Extortion simplified

Tips to prevent extortion

If someone’s threatening physical harm, contact authorities to let them know what’s going on. Threats and harassment are illegal and should not go unreported.

Contact authorities

If someone’s trying to extort money from you through a phone call, ask them for more specific information. If they refuse to give it to you or start to sound shady, then it’s likely a scam.

Extortion

The most common type of extortion is threatening someone with violence, property damage, and reputational, legal, or financial repercussions. Such threats can be carried out via phone, text, email, live, or any other form of communication.

Threats

Blackmail is a type of extortion that threatens to reveal information about a person that would cause harm to their reputation. The intent of blackmail is usually to get something out of the person by leveraging deeply personal information about them.

Blackmail

Types of extortion

Recapping government impersonation fraud, the potential dangers for your data, and some actionable safety measures.

Government impersonation - Data vulnerability thermometer

Government impersonation fraud stats

Government impersonation simplified

Tips to prevent government impersonation

Don’t give your personal or financial information to someone who calls, texts, or emails and says they’re with the government. The government would not ask for your personal data.

If someone calls you from a government agency like the IRS, hang up the phone and call the IRS directly to see if they’re looking for you. If they are, they’ll tell you directly.

Don’t transfer money or any other types of funds to anyone that says they work for the government. Make sure it’s really them by contacting the authorities directly.

Government impersonation

U.S. Department of Justice:

Report Identity theft (US)

Europol

Get to grips with identity theft and stay protected with key tips, stats, and prevention measures.

Identity theft - Data vulnerability thermometer

Identity theft fraud stats

Identity theft simplified

Tips to prevent identity theft

Keep an eye out for data leaks in the news, especially from companies that have your SSN or ID number. Or use services like Surfshark Alert to notify you.

Stay informed of data leaks

Don’t open suspicious emails, attachments, or URLs. If you’re thinking of opening any links or files, check them on websites like VirusTotal first.

Be wary of emails

Don’t enter your personal data on unknown websites or share it via emails or calls. Remember, if someone’s asking you for your information, treat them with suspicion.

Don’t throw away documents, letters, or bank statements into the trash. Instead, dispose of them in a way that no one would be able to use them afterward.

Keep your documents safe

If your password for your email or social media profile gets leaked, change it immediately. Even better, use password managers to generate new passwords and avoid using weak ones.

Change your password

Identity theft

Report a crime (US)

How to sidestep informed robbery and secure your data for good

Informed robbery - Data vulnerability thermometer

Informed robbery simplified

Tips to prevent informed robbery

Minimize what information you post about yourself and don’t brag online about any new stuff that you got.

Handle data responsibly

Keep your personal files safe and stored away. If you lose important documents, make sure to inform government agencies and your bank.

Informed robbery

Get to grips with investment fraud with key tips, types, and prevention measures.

Investment fraud - Data vulnerability thermometer

Investment fraud stats

Investment fraud simplified

Tips to prevent investment fraud

Ask about full terms and conditions of the deal or how the business is going to work. If the person sounds sketchy or keeps avoiding your questions, there’s likely something going on.

Background check the person or agency and make sure they are legit. Look up their name, reputation, and affiliations. Does it makes sense that they’re contacting you?

If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Be extra cautious, especially when the deal comes to you without any context, faces, or official companies behind it.

Investment fraud

A pyramid scheme is when a scammer claims he can turn your small investment into a large profit fast. What sets a pyramid scheme apart is that the fraudsters keep attracting investors without offering a product or service. The initial investors get paid with the money that new investors bring. This scheme continues on until the fraudsters can’t pay their investors anymore or attract new ones.

Pyramid schemes

Pump-and-dump involves scammers who buy shares of small companies for a very low price. They then spread false information that this company is a good investment opportunity to inflate their stock prices. Once the stock prices go up, the fraudsters sell the stocks they bought for low prices at a profit and abandon the scam.

Pump-and-dump

Advance fee, like the Nigerian prince scam, is when scammers ask people for money, promising to return more at a later date but never do. Such scams often include fake stories and false investment opportunities like “wire me  $400 dollars for plane tickets and I’ll pay you $2,000 when I return.”

Advance fee

Offshore scams often target US investors and can be carried out via any other type of investment fraud. The idea here is that the US law enforcement has difficulty investigating fraud outside of the US. Fraudsters know this and target US investors with investment frauds.

Offshore scams

Types of investment fraud

Get essential tips from Surfshark to protect yourself from lottery scams. Stay informed and don't fall victim to fraud.

Lottery scam: a false jackpot - Data vulnerability thermometer

Prize scam stats

Lottery scam simplified

Tips to prevent prize scam

Ask about the full terms and conditions regarding your alleged winnings. If the person sounds sketchy or keeps avoiding your questions, there’s likely something going on.

If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Remember that you can’t win a lottery you didn’t enter and no one hands out free stuff for no reason.

Don’t transfer money over empty promises. Always remember that no lottery or sweepstake will EVER ask you for money to receive a prize.

Lottery scams

Lottery and sweepstake scams are when a scammer informs a potential victim of a "win" for a lottery or competition that the victim never entered. The person is then asked to pay "taxes," "shipping and handling charges," or “processing fees” to get their prize. The prize never appears, but the victim is convinced to pay an ever-increasing amount of "fees" and "taxes". The victim becomes emotionally invested in the process and continues sending money in hopes of getting the prize.

Lottery and Sweepstake scam

Inheritance scam is when a scammer offers a false promise of an inheritance. The scammer pretends to be a lawyer, banker, or other foreign official, and claims that the deceased left no other beneficiaries. A scammer tells that the “inheritance” is difficult to access due to government regulations, taxes, or bank restrictions, and that a victim needs to pay money and provide personal details to claim it.

Inheritance scam

Types of lottery scams

Scamvoid

CleanWeb

VirusTotal

Recapping malware crime stats along with need-to-know safety measures, tips, and precautions.

Malware: unwanted residents - Data vulnerability thermometer

Malware crime stats

Malware simplified

Tips to prevent malware

Don’t open suspicious emails, attachments, or URLs as they can carry viruses. If you’re thinking of opening any links or files, check them on websites like VirusTotal first.

Always double-check the validity of a website and the company you’re buying from using services like Scamvoid and TotalVirus. Refrain from visiting shady, outdated websites.

Don’t download files from unknown or unsecured HTTP pages. Only use HTTPS and check your download sources with online tools like VirusTotal.

Check your downloads

Use an antivirus program with real-time protection, perform regular scans, and check all files you download for possible malware infections.

Use an antivirus

Tools like CleanWeb and other ad blockers can prevent known malicious ads from loading on your devices.

Use ad blockers

Some VPNs offer additional protection by blocking requests to known malicious sites that can contain all sorts of malware.

Use a VPN

Keep your systems, apps, and browsers up to date. Malware loves vulnerabilities in systems and apps, especially worms, rootkits, and trojans.

Keep updated

Malware

Ransomware is malicious software that uses encryption to disable a target’s access to their data until a ransom is paid. Ransomware is commonly used to target large organizations because they have a lot of valuable data and can afford to pay more. Victims of ransomware often can’t operate at all under the effects of ransomware. And even if they agree to pay, there’s no guarantee their data will be decrypted or won’t get deleted.

Ransomware

A virus is a piece of malicious code that is inserted inside of an application. Once downloaded and run, a virus can spread and reproduce into the network. From here, it can steal personal information or launch DDoS or ransomware attacks.

Virus

A Trojan is a malware that disguises itself as useful code or software. It can come in the form of an app, game, patch, or any tool. Once downloaded and installed, a Trojan can take over the device’s system and perform unwanted actions like exporting, modifying, or deleting data. The difference between a Trojan and a virus is that a virus needs the infected app to be running in order to spread and reproduce.

Trojan

Spyware’s pure intent is to collect information from an infected device. Such data includes credentials, payment information, or any other type of personal information that can later help hackers cash out. Spyware can also download and install other malicious software to its victim’s device.

Spyware

A keylogger is a very common type of spyware that tracks and records its victim’s keystrokes. The software itself is not purely malicious and has its uses in business and personal cases. But hackers often use keyloggers to fish for people’s logins and passwords for malicious purposes.

Keyloggers

Adware is a type of malware that tracks its victim’s online activity to gather information about their browsing habits. This data is put into profiles and later sold to ad agencies and data brokers without the user’s consent. In a way, adware is similar to spyware, but it doesn’t track keystrokes and it can’t download and install software into its victim’s device.

Adware

A rootkit is a type of malware that gives hackers remote control to their victim’s device, usually with full administrative privileges. Rootkits are very difficult to detect and can open backdoors to trojans, spyware, or ransomware.

Rootkits

Worms are a type of malware that targets system vulnerabilities. They can gain access and install themselves onto the victim’s device. From there, they allow hackers to steal data or launch DDoS or ransomware attacks.

Worms

Most common types of malware

Pew research center

Tracking online harassment cases. Stay out of harm's way with key recaps, types, and prevention measures.

Data Vulnerability Thermometer

Possible data breach risks

Risks if you lose more data