Scams can take many forms — and they are on the rise. The Federal Trade Commission estimates consumers lose more than $10 billion each year from scams.
- Phishing scams: emails, texts, or calls that appear to be from trusted sources (bank, government agency) asking for personal information or login credentials.
- Tech support scams: unsolicited calls claiming your computer is infected and offering to fix it for a fee.
- Imposter scams: someone pretending to be a loved one in trouble, a police officer, government or tax official, or charity asking for money.
- Lottery and sweepstakes scams: notifications of a prize you’ve won, but requiring up-front payment for fees or taxes.
- Personal assistant job offer scams: an unsolicited job offer to pay you to complete a task, often to buy gift cards.
- Rent scams: someone pretending to be a landlord, demanding an immediate deposit for an apartment, sight unseen.
- Romance scams: building an online relationship and then asking for money for emergencies or travel.
- Bribery/intimate photo scams: someone contacts you on social media, flirts, requests intimate photos, then threatens to release the photos to family, friends, work, etc. if they’re not paid a ransom
The Basics to Remember
Be cautious about what you share online. Never share sensitive information unless you’re sure it’s secure. Use strong, complex passwords — and go even further by using multi-factor authentication.
Keep your devices’ software updated, as updates often include security patches. And be sure to install security software — use a reputable antivirus and anti-malware program.
Finally, don’t engage. If it feels like a scam, it probably is. Hang up or delete!
Additional tips:
- Spot impostors: scammers often pretend to be someone you trust: police, the government, a charity. Do not give money or personal information to a sudden, unexpected request.
- Don’t pay upfront for a stranger’s promise: someone asking you to pay upfront for things like debt relief, a prize, or to keep you out of trouble is likely trying to scam you.
- Never transfer money to a stranger: wire transactions don’t have any fraud protections built into them — so using Zelle, Cash App, Western Union, MoneyGram, etc. is risky. Legitimate, honest companies, like charities or government agencies, DO NOT require this sort of payment.
- Never deposit a check from an unknown source: fake checks are often sent to people asking them to cash it and wire a portion of the money back to them. These are scams, and you cannot recover the money lost.
- Don’t get forced into making a rash, emotional financial decision: scams often pressure and threaten you into making quick, and oftentimes bad, decisions. If something does not sound or feel right, trust your gut, slow down, and think through what you are being pressured to do.
What to Watch For
Be suspicious if you encounter any of these:
- Urgent or threatening language: scammers create a sense of urgency to pressure you into acting quickly.
- Requests for unusual payment methods: gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, etc. – these are hard to trace and recover. Plus, legitimate entities will never accept a gift card for payment.
- Unfamiliar names, phone numbers, or email addresses: don’t trust caller ID; it can be spoofed/faked.
- Offers that seem too good to be true: they probably are!
- Grammar and spelling mistakes: many scams originate from overseas and contain errors.
What if I’ve Been Scammed?
- Act quickly: contact your bank, credit card company, or the relevant platform to report the scam and potentially stop transactions.
- File a report: report the scam to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. If you’ve lost money or property, also file a report with the police.
- Don’t be embarrassed: scammers are skilled, and anyone can fall victim. Reporting helps stop them.
- Call us if you have questions: if you’re ever in doubt, or if you feel like you’ve been a victim of a scam, call us.