Learn what scams are, why we talk about them, ways to avoid being a victim… plus how to help others!
Eye-opening information
Per a Fidelity National Financial study shared by Fox News, 30% of Americans were scammed in the last 12 months, losing over $2,600 in their lifetime. Here’s more: 40% receive suspicious messages daily and 22% have experienced identity theft. Furthermore, 75% worry about the impact of AI (artificial intelligence) on future scams – making this a relatable topic for all!
No boundaries
Scammers are unscrupulous people who seek to commit fraud or participate in dishonest schemes.
Who do they target?
Anyone they can! Scammers search for potential victims and use trickery – which is why it is vital to always:
- Keep one’s guard up
- Protect personal information
- Use strong passwords (do not share passwords)
- Monitor bank and credit card statements
- Monitor credit score
- Use digital security tools to protect devices
- Avoid being gullible/believing everything you read or are told
- Avoid contact with anyone who is seemingly suspicious
- Pay attention to red flags of scams (signals of scams)
Because scammers are often slick, anyone can become a victim of a scam.
Listen to your inner voice
If you sense that something is wrong – whether it be receiving a suspicious phone call or getting an odd text or email – listen to that little voice inside your head and do not engage.
What are some common red flags (indicators) of scams?
- Unexpected contact (example: out of the blue text message)
- Crisis with urgency (example: someone saying there’s a problem with your bank account – and telling you to resolve it by providing your bank account information)
- Use of coercive or persuasive language (example: stating there’s a limited time to fix your account before it goes to collections)
- Requests for your personal information (example: someone asking for your social security number or bank info.)
- Calls to action (example: someone telling you to go to your bank now to withdraw money)
- Telling you what to say (example: they remain on the phone line to instruct you)
- Vague knowledge/caller reluctant to answer questions
- Blackmail/threats (note: no legitimate company ever blackmails or threatens people)
- Fake exchanges/giveaways
- Social media phishing
- Promises that sound too good to be true
- Requests for wire transfers or gift card transactions
- Grammar/spelling mistakes in written correspondence
Who do scammers target?
It’s easiest for scammers to go after vulnerable individuals such as people facing cognitive decline, folks who are lonely, or those lacking life experience, as examples. However, scammers do not discriminate. Therefore, everyone is susceptible! Scammers resort to trickery and anyone can fall victim to a scam. Even very smart people can be fooled.
Why do scammers scam?
These con artists generally seek to gain access to private information to perform identity theft or steal money. Many are good at what they do and can be convincing.
How do scammers reach people?
Most scammers gain access to victims via these methods:
- Cellphones/landlines
- Emails
- Texts
- Written letters
- Direct contact
How do scammers operate?
- Scammers typically gain access to potential victims via the methods listed above.
- Scammers misrepresent themselves (lie) by pretending to be someone they are not.
- Scammers create false situations or emergencies to engage victims. For example, they may pretend you won a large sum of money and ask you to pay a fee to get it.
- Scammers may use sophisticated methods like AI (artificial intelligence).
- Scammers work to gain their victim’s trust and can be convincing.
- Once trust is gained, scammers may get their victims to provide personal information to them (examples: bank account numbers, PIN numbers, social security numbers). Scammers may also get victims to send them money (examples: gift cards, Bitcoins, money transfers).
- If you are contacted by someone saying there is a problem with your bank or credit card account, hang up with that caller without sharing any information. Call your bank or credit card company directly (using the phone number you looked up – never one given to you by the caller) to verify the situation.
- Never open unsolicited emails/texts or click on links. Opening attachments can potentially infect your computer with malware.
Here are the top scams to watch out for: (Per KTVU.com)
- Credit card scams (37%)
- Identity theft (34%)
- Online shopping scams (32%)
- Phishing scams (25%)
- Business/job scams(18%)
Other chilling facts:
- Per VOA News, “Scammers swipe billions from Americans every year, many getting away with it.” This crime wave is expected to worsen as the US population ages.
- People who are scammed rarely get their money back. This is very scary for the senior citizen population who largely depend upon their money to live and will likely never recover their losses.
- Many people who experience scams fail to report them, mainly due to embarrassment.
Why report scams?
You can play a role in scam prevention. Police and public protection government agencies lack the information and resources to fully guard citizens against scams, which is why YOUR help is needed. Per FTC.gov, “Telling your story can help your friends, your family, your community and others avoid those scams. That keeps money in their pockets and their information out of the hands of criminals.”
Your help counts
Reporting scams to the FTC helps to fight against crime and gives investigators information to build cases against scammers to ultimately stop these bad actors in their tracks.
Report scams to: ReportFraud.ftc.gov
Check back next week for our article on Imposter Scams.
