Have you ever encountered a deal that’s too good to be true, so you bypass it? Fast forward a week later, you find on the news the same thing and that it was a scam. Must have dodged a bullet there huh? As a website owner, you will encounter many scams that surface, from phishing attacks, fraud, and even deceptive hosting offers. There are a lot of red flags to keep an eye out for, especially if you’re entering businesses that require web pages, to work on.
Phishing attacks are practices of sending fraudulent communications that are disguised to be a legitimate source. Most usually come from emails and SMS. One example is AOHell, the first recorded example of a phishing attack. A teenager from Pennsylvania developed it to crack American Online (AOL) accounts. It would run on top of the AOL client to steal user’s passwords and use a credit card generator to create fake accounts to act like customer service. After the incident, users were regularly asked to verify their AOL accounts for security purposes. Therefore, creating the security measure that every company uses to this day.
Fraud is the act of gaining an unlawful advantage from the victim. There are many frauds that a small percentage of people will try to use against website owners including information fraud and stolen identity fraud. One example is fake password login pages. People who commit fraud create sites that look like the same website as the original. Streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ have fallen for that type of fraud, which led to their users losing their account data and the company losing money from it.
Domain name scams are the act in which domain name registrars attempt to generate money by tricking businesses into buying, selling, listing, or converting a domain name. A type of this is Domain slamming, a scam where the domain name registrar tries to trick various domain owners into switching from theirs to the scammers. A prevention attempt in 2004, notes that ICANN, a domain name governing body, had made changes to its policy for transferring domains between registrars. They introduced domain locking, a single protective measure that can help prevent unauthorized transfers.
Fraudulent SEO services involve deceptive practices aimed at manipulating search engine rankings. This can include tactics like keyword stuffing, hidden text, and link schemes. To prevent falling victim to such scams, website owners should thoroughly research and vet any SEO service providers they consider working with. One example is DA-based Link Building/Guest Posting, in which the scammer will provide a link or a guest post on their “high DA” website, claiming to help a website rank better. Additionally, staying informed about the latest SEO best practices and keeping an eye out for suspicious or unsolicited offers can help protect against fraudulent SEO services.
In conclusion, website owners should be cautious of scams and take steps to avoid them. One effective measure is domain locking, introduced by ICANN to prevent unauthorized transfers. Another scam to watch out for is fraudulent SEO services, which use deceptive tactics like keyword stuffing and link schemes. To avoid falling victim to these scams, it is essential for website owners to thoroughly research and vet the SEO service providers they are considering. Staying informed about the latest SEO best practices and being vigilant for suspicious offers can also help protect against fraudulent services.