EDITORS DESK Warning! Cybercriminals are always out there looking for someone to scam. This Christmas, expect them to find creative ways to lure victims to believe that what they are presenting are legitimate business offers. To attract you, cybercriminals want you to think that the messages are from someone you know to make you open the email and click the files they sent. Below are the most common scams cybercriminals are using now: 1) Phishing scams. Phishing scams are designed to gain confidential information, such as passwords and financial information. These usually come in the form of an email or text message that appears to be from a legitimate source such as a bank. The messages urge the recipient to click a link, and enter their personal information, which is then sent to the scammer. To protect yourself, never click on any suspicious links and make sure that any email or text message you receive comes from a trusted sender. 2) Malware scams. Malware scams involve the use of malicious software to gain access to a computer. This can be done by sending an email with an attachment containing the malware or downloading a rogue program from the internet. The scammer can gain access to a person’s personal information or even take control of their computer. To protect yourself from malware scams, never open or click on any suspicious attachments, and ensure that your computer's security software is up to date. 3) Advance fee scams. Advance fee scams are designed to get people to pay money upfront to receive a larger sum later. These scams often involve a “guarantee” of a large investment return, an inheritance, or a lottery win. To protect yourself, never pay any money upfront, and do not trust promises of significant returns. 4) Investment scams. Investment scams involve taking advantage of people's desire to make a quick buck by investing in a “surefire” business opportunity. These scams will often require victims to pay a large sum of money for a promise of a large return on the investment. Do your research and ensure that the company is legitimate. 5) Romance scams. Romance scams involve scammers posing as potential romantic partners to gain access to victims’ personal information or money. The scammer will try to build a relationship with the victim before asking for money or other forms of assistance. Be wary of any requests for money or personal information, and never send money to someone you’ve never met. (Scams no. 6 and 7 are warnings from amazon.com who ask customers to be extra careful, especially this Christmas season.) 6) Order confirmation scams. These unexpected calls/texts/emails often refer to an unauthorized purchase and ask you to act urgently to confirm or cancel the purchase. The messages try to convince you to provide payment or bank account information, install software on your computer or device, or purchase gift cards. 7) Tech support scams. Scammers create fake websites claiming to provide tech support for your devices and Amazon services. Fake tech support scams sometimes involve pop-up ads offering tech support services, but they're just trying to get you to give up your personal information. Never trust pop-up ads saying that your computer has malware and that you must click to clean it up. 8) Advance fee loan scams involve an offer of a loan at an extremely low-interest rate, but to receive it, the potential victim must pay a fee upfront. Another variation of this is the fake check scam, which involves the victim being sent a large check and asked to wire a portion of the funds back to the scammer. There is also a scam called a loan modification, and foreclosure relief scams which involve scammers posing as “loan modification specialists” who offer to negotiate a lower interest rate on your loan for a fee. 9) Free money scam has two variants. There’s the foreign money scam that involves scammers offering to send large sums of money from overseas for a fee, which is never actually paid out. Second, scammers claim you can get free money from government grants for a fee. 10) Medical billing scams involve scammers posing as medical providers who try to get you to pay for nonexisting medical procedures. 11) Online surveys offer money or prizes in exchange for taking a survey or signing up for an offer. 12) Fake offer scams include: 1) Fake job offers involving scammers posing as employers and requiring money to secure a job. 2) Fake prizes and sweepstakes involve scammers offering prizes you have to pay to receive. 3) Fake debt collection scams involve scammers posing as debt collectors who ask you to pay for a debt you do not have. The best way to protect yourself from these scams is to be aware of them and to never give out personal information or money to anyone you don't know or trust. If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is not true. Research and verify any website or company before doing business with them. If you believe you've been a victim of an online scam, contact the authorities immediately and report the fraud to the proper authorities.