Any email, phone call or message that starts with “Hello dear…”. Nobody calls you “dear", let alone someone who doesn't know you or just “friended" you. Yes, I know, probably the wife calls you that, but take it from me, unless you're just back from your honeymoon, she's probably out to scam you too if she says that.

Any offer of some major inheritance, some mega offer of some millions for a little tiny fee (especially coming from some particular continent). Obviously you'll never get your “prize" and they'll just rip you off their commission plus your bank details. Believe me, if someone really had some millions to dispose of, they wouldn't be offering you the biggest cut.

Any young thing in over sexy clothes or way too beautiful to be after your aging looks, sending you a friend request is out to get you. Double points if “she" has only one pic and has just opened her profile the other day. Triple points if all her handful of “friends" happen to be rather a different race and gender, have unprounceable names, and are way out of league to the sexy beauty in the pic. Take it from me, you're probably chatting with some ugly dude with hairy balls with a particular liking to your back accounts.

Any social “date" you just connected with who happens to be “serious", wanting to hitch up with you in their first message, or are already declaring their unconditional love just by looking at your profile pic for 10 seconds flat. Double points if they are also “god-fearing” and have only “serious intentions", yeah, now like seriously intending to rip you off. Yes I know, your pastor or worse, your priest is likely god-fearing too, but then again you should never trust a man wearing a skirt.

Any email or communication referring to an invoice, a transaction, a statement of an item you never bought, ordered, or transacted with is out to get you. Double points if there's an attachment or a link to open. If you didn't order it, no one is about to send you anything you didn't pay for. Even if they did, wait till you actually get it before checking any correspondence. In case of doubt, never click links in dubious emails. Go back to your actual accounts and services, and check your online inbox there. If there's any information message or communication from some supplier, it's bound to be there.

Any get-rich-scheme that has pages and pages of text to go through with marketing videos, dubious testimonials, and half-price or incredible offers, or massive discounts. Double points if the offer is “one-time" and magically expires in 24hrs unless you take it. Believe me, if the scheme was that good, the creator or originator would have gotten rich off it and wouldn't need to market dubious or “amazing” solutions to make a living. Triple points if the browser window pops up an additional last-minute-offer-you-can't-refuse when you try to close it or navigate away.

Any U.S. “servicemen” or “woman” who just happens to be in service in Afghanistan or happens to be on a “peace-keeping” mission in some dubious southern continent and so happens to break military protocol and disclose their location and mission readily to the first internet stranger they come across. Always in exchange for some gift card or some help, of course. I mean, everybody loves to do his bit for love of God and country, right? If you have to help out find a retired homeless veteran and appease your conscience rather than your hard-earned savings.

Any customer support agent from “Microsoft”, “Amazon" or “Google” who so happens to have nothing to do as to call you to “help you out" with the software, hardware or system they didn't even know you had. Believe me, if you had an issue and you needed customer support from any service provider, you are going to be the one chasing them, not the other way round. And when that happens, they're going to drive you round the bend to actually admit you even have an issue, let alone be calling you themselves.

Any response from a supposed supplier of service provider you typically do business with, to send payments or wire transfer funds to a different bank account or different payment method or channel other than what you normally use. Always double check with the original source, ideally via a different communication channel to verify any dubious or unusual request however genuine it may appear. Most especially, never click links in such requests but go to the source provider's official page and login or query there.

Basically, anything, anyone, any offer, any service, or any product that looks too good to be true, usually just is just that. If that person, item or service was that great, what are the chances you're going to come across it just like that. Be realistic, nobody is going to go to lengths to help you out or offer you a golden or magical solution to your financial, emotional or physical needs and whims. If something was that appealing or incredible to start with, what are the chances someone is actual chasing you out of the blue to offer of to you? Nothing in life is presented on a silver platter and there's nothing like a free lunch. Unless of course it is attached to a sharp hook at the end of a fishing line…

Source: https://www.quora.com/What-are-10-si...u-is-a-scammer


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