Online Scams: Spot the Warning Signs
Explore everyday online situations and learn to notice warning signs, protect your information, and check unusual requests.
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Questions with solutions-
1. சரியான பதிலைத் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கவும்.
A text message says: "Your bank account will close in ten minutes. Send us your password now." What is the clearest warning sign?
- The message arrives on a phone.
- The sender asks for your password.
- The message mentions a bank account.
- The message is short.
Think about which information should stay private.
Show solution
- The sender asks for your password.
Your password should stay private. A real bank should not ask you to send it in a message.
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2. சரியான பதிலைத் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கவும்.
You receive this message: "Congratulations! You won a tablet. Pay a fee to receive your free prize." You never entered a competition. What scam pattern does this suggest?
- Getting a refund for a broken product.
- Receiving an update about an order.
- Paying before receiving a supposed prize.
- Confirming a purchase you already made.
Notice the condition attached to the word "free."
Show solution
- Paying before receiving a supposed prize.
A surprise prize that requires payment first is a common trap. The promised prize may never arrive.
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3. சரியான பதிலைத் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கவும்.
Someone claiming to work for a government office calls you. They say you owe money and must pay with gift cards. Which detail is the strongest warning sign?
- They require gift cards to pay an official bill.
- They contact you during the afternoon.
- They mention an unpaid bill.
- They say they work in an office.
Focus on the payment method, not the caller's job title.
Show solution
- They require gift cards to pay an official bill.
Government offices do not collect official payments through gift cards. Once a gift card code is shared, the money can be difficult to recover.
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4. சரியான பதிலைத் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கவும்.
A message from a new number says: "It's your friend Sam. Please send me the sign-in code that just arrived on your phone." What could happen if you share it?
- It would prove that the new number belongs to Sam.
- It would confirm that Sam lost a phone.
- Your account would become safer.
- Someone could use the code to enter your account.
What is a sign-in code normally used for?
Show solution
- Someone could use the code to enter your account.
A sign-in code is like a temporary key to your account. Keep it private, even when a message appears to come from a friend.
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5. சரியான பதிலைத் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கவும்.
A delivery message says: "Your package is waiting. Pay a small delivery fee and enter your card details." Why doesn't the small fee prove that the message is safe?
- Small payments always receive extra protection.
- The real goal may be to collect your card details.
- The sender can only charge the amount shown.
- A delivery message must come from a delivery company.
Consider what you would share besides the money.
Show solution
- The real goal may be to collect your card details.
A tiny fee can hide a bigger risk. Check a delivery through the company's official website or app, not through an unexpected message.
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6. சரியான பதிலைத் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கவும்.
While you browse the internet, a window appears: "Your computer is in danger! Call our support team and let us control your computer." What is the main risk?
- The warning appears in a small window.
- The message uses the word "support."
- An unknown person wants control of your computer.
- The message discusses a computer problem.
Think about what the caller would be able to access.
Show solution
- An unknown person wants control of your computer.
Unexpected support warnings can be fake. Giving a stranger control of your computer may expose your files and accounts.
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7. சரியான பதிலைத் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கவும்.
You find a used bicycle on a shopping platform. The seller says: "Pay me outside the platform for a discount." The platform's buyer protection only covers payments made inside it. Which action keeps that protection?
- Send a small payment outside the platform first.
- Ask the seller to promise a refund in a message.
- Save the seller's profile picture before paying elsewhere.
- Keep the purchase and payment inside the platform.
The protection has a clear condition.
Show solution
- Keep the purchase and payment inside the platform.
A discount may not be worth losing buyer protection. A seller's promise does not replace the platform's payment rules.
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8. சரியான பதிலைத் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கவும்.
A shopping website has the same logo and colors as a store you know. However, its web address is different from the store's official address. What should you understand?
- A copied logo does not prove that the website belongs to the store.
- Matching colors prove that the store owns the website.
- The web address matters less than the page design.
- A professional-looking website is safe for payments.
Which is easier to copy: a page's appearance or its true identity?
Show solution
- A copied logo does not prove that the website belongs to the store.
Logos and page designs can be copied. Use the store's known official address rather than trusting appearance alone.
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9. சரியான பதிலைத் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கவும்.
A job offer says you can work from home, receive weekly wages, and get your schedule by email. It also requires you to use your personal bank account to receive payments for the company. Which requirement is the warning sign?
- Working from home.
- Getting a schedule by email.
- Using your personal account for company payments.
- Receiving wages every week.
Separate your wages from money that belongs to the company.
Show solution
- Using your personal account for company payments.
Receiving your wages is normal. Handling company payments through your personal account is different and could involve you in fraud.
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10. சரியான பதிலைத் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கவும்.
You meet someone on a dating app. You both enjoy the same music and chat most evenings. After one week, they say they love you and urgently need money for a trip. You have never met. What is the strongest warning sign?
- You met through an app.
- They quickly use a romantic connection to ask for urgent financial help.
- You enjoy the same kind of music.
- You usually talk in the evening.
Think about the connection between strong feelings and the money request.
Show solution
- They quickly use a romantic connection to ask for urgent financial help.
Scammers may build emotional trust before asking for money. Feeling close to someone does not confirm who they are.
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11. சரியான பதிலைத் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கவும்.
An online investment ad promises: "Earn large profits every week. No risk. You cannot lose money." Why is this promise a warning sign?
- Real investments can lose money.
- An investment can make a profit only after many years.
- Only wealthy people are allowed to invest.
- Every investment advertised online is illegal.
Can an investment honestly promise both large profits and no risk?
Show solution
- Real investments can lose money.
High returns without risk are a classic warning sign. Honest investment information explains possible losses as well as possible gains.
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12. சரியான பதிலைத் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கவும்.
You are checking customer reviews before buying from an unfamiliar online store. Which pattern suggests that the reviews may not come from separate, real customers?
- Reviews describe different experiences with delivery.
- Reviews appear over several months.
- Reviews mention the size and color of products.
- Many reviews repeat the same long message and appear within minutes.
Independent customers usually do not write exactly the same long message at almost the same time.
Show solution
- Many reviews repeat the same long message and appear within minutes.
Repeated wording and closely grouped posting times can suggest fake reviews. They are warning signs, not final proof of fraud.
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13. சரியான பதிலைத் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கவும்.
At a parking meter, you notice a sticker covering the original payment code. The sticker has a new QR code that opens a payment page. Why should you check before paying?
- A QR code guarantees that a payment page is official.
- Someone may have added the sticker to send payments to a different place.
- A page that opens quickly must belong to the parking service.
- A code placed on a meter is automatically checked by the city.
Being attached to an official object does not make something official.
Show solution
- Someone may have added the sticker to send payments to a different place.
A QR code is simply a way to open a link. Check that the payment page belongs to the parking service, especially if the code appears to have been replaced.
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14. சரியான பதிலைத் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கவும்.
You lost money in an online scam. A stranger now messages you: "I guarantee I can recover all your money. Pay my service fee first." What new risk does this offer create?
- The original payment will return automatically.
- Paying the fee will guarantee a full refund.
- You could lose more money to another scam.
- The stranger's promise will protect your bank account.
A promise to solve a previous loss can hide a new payment trap.
Show solution
- You could lose more money to another scam.
People who have already been scammed may be targeted again. An unexpected recovery offer with a guaranteed result and an advance fee is a serious warning sign.
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15. சரியான பதிலைத் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கவும்.
A repair company you hired emails an invoice. The message says its bank details have changed and asks you to pay today. What is the safest way to check the change?
- Call the company using a number you already know is genuine.
- Reply to the same email and ask whether it is real.
- Call only the new number included in that message.
- Check whether the invoice displays the company's logo.
Use a contact method that does not depend on the suspicious message.
Show solution
- Call the company using a number you already know is genuine.
Even a familiar company's email account can be misused. Confirm unexpected payment changes through a trusted contact method before sending money.