Google Scamspotter Website warns of fraud methods on the Internet

Google Scamspotter

Google launches website to help people avoid online scams

Although many fraud methods on the Internet have been known for years, many users still fall for simple tricks of cybercriminals. For this reason, Google recently released a new website that informs about fraud methods.

The page ends with the name Scamspotter.org and lists various fraud methods. This includes, among other things, a staged interest in a love affair in order to persuade the victim to financial support. In addition, the most recent meshes with respect to Covid-19 are also mentioned. For the different scenarios, there are tips to help the user not to become a victim of a fraud method.

Knowledge can be tested via a quiz

If you think you are sufficiently informed about the methods of Internet fraudsters, you can check your knowledge in a quiz. The test can be tested directly on the Scamspotter website. The user is shown various chat histories and must then determine whether the given scenario is a fraud attempt or a harmless conversation. In one case, the chat partner, a fraudster, asks the user to pay taxes and fees for a supposedly free trip.

In another example, the user is contacted by the local electricity supplier and asked whether his household would like to switch to renewable energies free of charge. Since no data or payments are required here, the scenario should be considered harmless.

Although most fraud methods always follow the same pattern and are very easy to see through, this results in damage amounting to billions worldwide. Last year, the US agency FTC spent about $1.9 billion on scammers' accounts as a result of such machinations.