7 internet scams you still fall for

Scammers are savvy manipulators who play off

your emotions. That's why even the stupidest

scams will work on the right vulnerable person.

These online scams have been around forever—

some, even before the Internet—yet thousands of

people are still falling for them every day.

Here's what you need to know so you're never

conned again:

1. The Social Media Link Scam

Your Facebook friend just posted a link: "Miley

Cyrus
did what at a concert last night?" It's

accompanied by a fuzzy image of a half-Unclad

Miley. There's even a comment—from the same

friend who posted it—that says "You guys HAVE to

see this." But click that link and you'll end up on a

shady, virus-ridden website. Then it links to your

timeline, repeating the cycle...forever.

It works because ... These scams play to our

curiosity.

Don't get scammed: The solution isn't to never

click links again. Just be mindful of links

advertising shocking or adult content, because

those will often lead to bad—not to mention NSFW

—stuff. Still curious? Ask your friend if they meant

to post the link. Worst-case scenario: They didn't,

and now you've tipped them off to a hijacked

account.

2. The Kidnapping Scam

A desperate email, phone call, or Facebook

message that says your friend/daughter/wife/work

colleague has been kidnapped and is being held

for ransom. If you don't wire the cash to the

kidnappers within an hour, your buddy is dead.

It works because ... It scares the crap out of you. If

it's a phone call, it's usually ill-timed—say at 2

a.m.—to further disorient you.

Don't get scammed: First, don't try to be Liam

Neeson or negotiate with terrorists. Second,

recognize that you're getting emotional and don't

make any rash decisions. Easier said than done,

but there are some rational things you can do to

help. Try to contact your friend/family member via

another form of communication. Something as

simple as a phone call or text to a friend who is

supposedly being held hostage in Thailand can

ease your fears.

3. The Caller ID Scam

You get a call from an unknown number, nd the

voice claims to be from the local police

department. They're investigating a crime, and

they want to verify your information—your name,

date of birth, and address—to rule you out as a

suspect. You're not silly, so you Google the

number and it is the local police department. No

big deal, right? Nope—they're actually scammers

who fooled your smartphone's robust caller ID with

a web service, and now they've got all your info.

It works because ... Smart people don't really want

to mess with the police, the government, or any

other intimidating agency.

Don't get scammed: Caller IDs are easy to spoof.

Other versions of this scam include calls from

government agencies, banks, and utilities

companies. But if anyone calls you and asks for

information up front, hang up, says Siciliano.

"There isn't a government agency or corporation

on the planet that will ask for your personal

information over the phone," he says. "If they're

calling you, they already have it." Only provide that

type of information if you call the direct number

yourself.

4. The Email Phishing Link Scam

You get an email from your bank that says your

account has been compromised—please click this

link to login and change your password. It's your

bank, so you click and enter your personal details

into a website that looks exactly like your bank's

website. You hit submit, and nothing happens.

It works because ... These scammers make their

emails and websites look good. There's no broken

English, wonky layouts, or other red flags. Plus,

they take an establishment you put a lot of trust in,

such as your bank or credit union, and play off

that trust to get you to cough up personal details,

passwords, and PINs.

Don't get scammed: Don't click on links in emails

—go directly to the business's website. Banks,

credit unions, and other businesses that handle

your sensitive information like credit card numbers

will never send you direct links if your account has

been compromised. They'll send you an email with

detailed instructions on how to change your password, but they'll send

you to the main page or

they'll make you type in the URL yourself to do it.

5. The Perfect Online Girlfriend Scam

She's hot, fun, and a great conversationalist on

OKCupid. She really wants to meet you in person,

but she's between jobs and she can't afford the $

300 ticket. No problem—you can just send her the

money for travel. Also, she needs a little help with

her rent and loves this handbag. Unfortunately, she

doesn't exist.

It works because ... Loneliness trumps common

sense every single time. People make bad, bad

decisions when they're lonely. And these

scammers aren't silly, either—they've been working

the online dating sites for long enough that they

know exactly what to say to make you fall in love

with their online personalities.

Don't get scammed: Not too long ago, advice

regarding online dating sites and scams amounted

to: Don't do it. But today, meeting people online

isn't weird. You don't need to avoid online dating

altogether, just be smart about it.

6. The Charity Scam

Con artists often take advantage of tragedies. Think

of the Sandy Hook shootings, the Boston Marathon

bombings, or the Japan earthquake. Cons will

appear in your inbox as charity solicitations: Just

click on a link to donate money to a charity that

will help the victims. You click, and you're taken to

a website that opens a bunch of pop-ups or asks

you for money.

It works because ... Like most scams, this one

plays on your emotions. You're a good person,

and you want to help the victims of tragedies. Plus,

it's a current event, so it somehow seems less like

a scam.

Don't get scammed: The best way to avoid this is

to go directly to the source. Don't trust links in

emails—go to the advertised charity and donate on

their website, where it's simple to contribute.

7. And yes ...The Nigerian Prince Scam

You get an email from a Nigerian Prince—or other

international royalty—who is about to come into an

impressive inheritance. He has to leave the

country and needs somebody (that's you!) to hold

their money in an offshore account. If you pay a

nominal fee, they'll give you half of it. No brainer,

right?

It works because ... Honestly, this scam doesn't

work on about 99.9 percent of the population.

When these emails hit your inbox, they're often full

of misspellings, bad formatting, and broken

English. But that's actually a tactic.

Don't get scammed: Most people don't have to

worry about falling for this type of scam. But just

in case, remember: You should never wire money

to someone you do not know.