There are many different cybercrimes that you need to watch out for when you are online, and cybercriminals are constantly looking for new ways to get past your defenses and try to make a profit out of you. So, to make sure you are aware of one of the latest schemes, here is how scammers are starting to clone loan websites.
Clone websites are becoming more and more common due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, and you may have noticed that you have started receiving more bogus emails with suspicious links to websites and fake banking portals. However, the worse development that clone websites have taken is that they are starting to look incredibly like the genuine version of the websites in question. This can make it easier for you to be taken in by the scam and harder for it to spot the differences between two websites before it is too late.
How do scammers clone websites?
There are many different types of scams associated with technology, and cloning websites is one of the most recent ones. Loan websites are particularly prone to being clones due to their financial nature. If you believe a scammer pretending to be a loan website, you could find yourself losing a lot of money, especially if you have taken out a loan in recent months or weeks, as you are more likely to believe or fail to question the communication that they send you.
To try to avoid being scammed, you need to know exactly how cybercriminals intend to scam you with clone websites. When they do this, cybercriminals pretend to represent a loan company. In most cases, this will be a well-known lender, as more people will believe the clone website if it replicates a lender that they have heard of or even taken a loan out with.
They will either do this by calling you or contacting you on social media or by email, giving you details that might make you more likely to believe that they represent the company in question. They may also copy the loan company’s websitewith some subtle changes, including changes to the web address, and send you to this in an attempt to try to encourage you to give your financial details to them. In some cases, they may even direct you to the website of the genuine firm but use different contact details when talking to you, which could lead you to offer up information to the scammers in place of the real company.
These clone websites will either be looking to steal money from you directly or will be looking to gain personal details from you, which they can use for fraudulent purposes. Once you have given away your financial details, they may be able to get large amounts of money from you or even access your bank account directly. Once this has happened, it can be difficult to get your money back. However, if you believe that this has happened to you, you should contact your bank immediately to stop them from accessing more money and see whether anything can be done to help you get your money back.
What can you do to stop yourself from being scammed?
Sometimes, these types of scams can be difficult to spot as they base themselves on a real company, which you may have had interactions with in the past, and they may even give you some of the real details of companies that have registered officially. This is why it’s important that you must know what to do if you find yourself confronted with this type of scam. This will prevent you from constantly being worried that you will be tricked by this cybercrime and ensure that you can keep your money safe.
UK short term loan company CashLady.comsuggest that you check the loan company in question is registered and authorized via the financial services registerbefore you deal with them. If you are unsure about any communication that you have received, you should also compare the contact details provided with the contact details on the company’s official website(as displayed at the financial services register linked above) and only use these details to correspond with the company. You can also check these with directory inquiries. You should also check the address of the website that they have given you or that you have found and make sure that it is correct.
You can also spot a clone website as they will usually ask you to do something, such as give your financial details or access your bank account, whereas real loan websites are unlikely to do this. They usually try to incite worry and panic by suggesting that something bad will happen if you do not click a link urgently, for instance, that you may be fined.
If you are unsure of anything, you should not give out any personal or financial information.If you do so, you might not be protected if something goes wrong and if you decide to give your details to a company that is not genuine. You might even decide to use a fact-checking website that can allow you to find out whether the website or the deals they are offering you are real or whether they are a scam. However, if you are scammed, you should always report this to ensure that the cybercriminals can be stopped and that the relevant authorities know what has happened. Money explores what you need to do if you have been scammed.
To stay safe online and ensure that you are protected from the proliferation of clone loan websites that are cropping up across the internet, you should follow many of the steps established in this guide. By keeping up with the latest developments in cybercrime and knowing exactly what you are looking for, you will be able to pause and consider your actions before cybercriminals are able to con you out of your hard-earned cash.
