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Online Scams

Online Scams

Identifying a scam

  • Scammers say there is a problem.
  • Scammers say there is a prize.
  • Scammers say to act immediately.
  • Scammers say to pay a certain way.

Avoiding a scam

  • Be wary when urged to take action right away.
  • Block unwanted calls, text messages, and emails.
  • Don't give out personal or financial information in response to a request you didn't make.
  • If you aren't sure if the request is legitimate or a scam, contact the company or individual from a trusted number not listed in the message.
Open laptop with credit card nearby.

Common Online Scams

  • Scammers pretend to send you money by mistake via a payment app and request it back. However, because they use fake or hacked accounts, returning the money results in you losing money. When the bank or payment app discovers the scheme, the amount they sent to you will be taken out of your account because the returned money is no longer tied to the scammer. To avoid accidental deposit scams, contact the payment app directly if you receive funds sent to you by mistake, or direct the account to contact customer support. 
  • Following a disaster, like a hurricane or earthquake, cybercriminals will pose as legitimate charities to convince you to make donations to support those in need. However, instead of your money providing relief to people, it is given directly to a cybercriminal. To avoid disaster relief scams, research before donating.
  • A fake website that looks legitimate or replicates an existing retailer’s site. These sites often contain deals that are too good to be true, tricking you into buying a fake item and recording your payment information for malicious use at the time of your purchase. To avoid fake shopping websites, make sure websites have https:// in the URL, have a closed padlock icon in the URL, and avoid deals that are too good to be true.
  • A cybercriminal poses as a child or grandchild in need of financial help. They may say that a grandchild is abroad and needs travel money or needs help paying a hospital bill. To avoid grandparent scams, verify the child’s or grandchild’s identity by asking a question that only they know. Consider having a safe word that only your family knows and have them say it in the event of an emergency.
  • A job posting that isn’t real but goes through all necessary steps to seem real. Once applied for and the new job offer is accepted, the information that is included on paperwork, like your Social Security number, address, and bank information, is used by a cybercriminal for malicious purposes. To avoid job offer scams, only apply to positions posted on reputable sites and research a company prior to applying.
  • A notice via email or text message claiming you won a prize, like money or a vacation, and that you can get the prize once a fee is paid. After the fee is paid, you will never hear from the organization again. To avoid lottery scams, never click unexpected pop-ups or links from offers that are too good to be true.
  • A fake app that is designed to look real but has malicious intents, with the main goal of stealing your personal data. To avoid mobile scams, only download reputable apps from your device’s official app store.
  • A method to trick you into sharing a one time passcode or authentication code. These scams occur when a cybercriminal logs in to your account and is prompted for the authentication code. At the same time, the cybercriminal poses as the company or organization and asks you to provide the one-time code you just received. If you provide the scammer with the code, you are giving them direct access to your account. To avoid one time password scams, do not provide one time passcodes to anyone.
  • A cybercriminal targets a victim via an online dating site and begins an online relationship. Trust is gained, but excuses are made as to why they can’t meet in person. The cybercriminal asks for details about the victim’s financials or for money. To avoid romance scams, ask lots of questions and never give out personal information.
  • An urgent pop-up message or fake online ad that says you have a problem with your computer and offers tech support services to resolve the issues. To avoid tech support scams, only download antivirus software from a reputable company.
  • A fake posting for a rental on a trusted site but asking a renter to pay outside of the booking platform. To avoid vacation rental scams, do not send direct payments outside of the platform the rental was booked from and read reviews.

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