Protect Yourself from Fraud and Scams

Scams are constantly changing. Know what to look for and what steps to take to keep yourself, your loved ones, and your money safe. Losing money or property to scams and fraud can be devastating.

Common Scams

• Tech Support Scams

  You get a call or message from someone who says they’re a computer technician. Or a number appears in a pop-up message on your screen. Or maybe you’re looking for tech support and call a number you find on a search engine. The person on the phone says they’re from a well-known company like Microsoft or Apple. And they tell you about viruses or other malware on your computer. Maybe they’ll ask you for remote access to your computer or say you must buy new software to fix it.

  But are they someone you can trust? Judging by reports to the Federal Trade Commission, no. Tech support scammers will try to sell you useless services, steal your credit card number, or get access to your computer to install malware, which could then let them see everything on your computer (including your account passwords).

  Hang up. If you get an unexpected call from someone saying there’s a problem with a computer — hang up, it’s a scam. If you need tech help, go to someone you know and trust — and call them at a phone number you know to be true (the ones that show up in your search engine aren’t always legit).

• Romance Scams

  Someone contacts you on social media — and they’re interested in getting to know you. Or maybe you meet someone special on a dating website or mobile app. Soon the person wants to write to you directly or start talking on the phone. They say it’s true love, but they live far away — maybe because of work, or because they’re in the military.

  Then they start asking for money. Maybe it’s for a plane ticket to visit you. Or emergency surgery. Or something else urgent.

  Scammers of all ages, genders, and sexual orientations make fake profiles, sometimes using photos of other people — even stolen pictures of real military personnel. They build relationships — some even pretend to plan weddings — before they disappear with your money.

  Stop. Don’t send money. Never send anyone cash or pay with gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency to an online love interest. You won’t get it back.

• Government Impersonator Scams

  You get a call, email, or text message from someone who says they’re from the Social Security Administration or Medicare. They say something alarming — like your Social Security number has been suspended. Or maybe you’ll miss out on a government benefit. To fix it, they say you must pay, give them your personal information, or put your money on gift cards and read them the PIN numbers.

  The caller may know some of your Social Security number. And your caller ID might show a Washington, DC area code. But is it really the government calling?

  No. The government doesn’t call people out of the blue with threats or promises of money. Caller IDs can be faked, so if you’re not sure, contact the agency at a phone number you know to be true (not the one they called you from).

  Stop. Don’t send money to anyone who calls, emails, or texts and says they’re with the government. Don’t send them cash or pay them with gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. The government won’t demand payment that way — and you won’t get your money back. If you want to reach a government agency, find their contact information at USA.gov.

• Grandkid and Family Scams

  You get a call: “Grandma, I need money for bail.” Or money for a medical bill. Or some other kind of trouble. The caller says it’s urgent — and tells you to keep it a secret.

  But is the caller who you think it is? Scammers are good at pretending to be someone they’re not. They can be convincing: sometimes using information from social networking sites, or hacking into your loved one’s email account, to make it seem more real. And they’ll pressure you to send money before you have time to think.

  Stop. Check it out. Look up your grandkid’s phone number yourself, or call another family member.

• “You’ve Won” Scams

  You get a call, letter, email, or text saying that you won! Maybe it’s a vacation or cruise, a lottery or a sweepstakes. The person calling about your prize is so excited. They can’t wait for you to get your winnings.

  But here’s what happens next. They say there are fees, taxes, or customs duties to pay. Then they ask for your credit card number or bank account information. Or they ask you to pay with cash, gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.

  If you pay a scammer or share information, you lose. There is no prize. Instead, you get more requests for money, and more false promises that you won big.

  Keep your money — and your information — to yourself. Never share your financial information with someone who contacts you and claims to need it. And never send anyone cash or pay with gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.

• Investment Scams

  You see an infomercial, or an ad online, saying you can learn how to make lots of money. It sounds quick, easy, and low risk — and it might involve investing in financial or real estate markets.

  The company says their system is “proven” and they even have testimonials from people who’ve used their system and gotten rich. But those people could be paid actors and their reviews could be made up.

  All investments have risks. No one can guarantee a specific return on an investment. And nobody can guarantee that an investment will be successful. Anyone who does promise you a guaranteed return at low or no risk is a scammer.

  Stop. Take time to research the offer. Scammers want to rush you into a decision. Slow down. Search online for the name of the company and words like “review,” “scam,” or “complaint.”

Common payment methods used by scammers

Never send money to someone you don’t know. Scammers use a variety of ways to collect money from you, including:

• Wire transfers
• Money transfers
• P2P (peer-to-peer or person-to-person) payment services and mobile payment apps
• Gift cards
• Cryptocurrency

Suspect a scam? Report it!

Contact your bank, as well as, your local police or sheriff’s office and your state attorney general.

Report consumer scams to the Federal Trade Commission

You can also report scams involving the internet, such as scams involving mobile payment apps, to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

Learn about more steps you can take right away to report a scam or fraud.
 

Other Resources

How to Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams
Fraud and Scams
Share What You Know. Stop Scams.