The increasing sophistication of and our reliance on technology have led to an increase in scams. Con artists continually change their tactics, but there are a few foolproof red flags.
Recognizing these common signs of a scam identified by the Federal Trade Commission could help you avoid one.
Scammers pretend to be from an organization you know.
Criminals often pretend to be contacting you on behalf of the government. They might use a real name of someone from the Federal Trade Commission, Social Security Administration, IRS or Medicare, or they’ll make up a name and title that sounds official. Some pretend to be from a business you know, like a utility company—including your electric cooperative—a tech company or even a charity asking for donations.
They use technology to change the phone number that appears on your caller ID. So the name and number you see might not be real.
Scammers say there’s a problem or a prize.
They might say you’re in trouble with the government. Or you owe money. Or someone in your family had an emergency. Or that there’s a virus on your computer. They may say there’s a problem with one of your accounts and that you need to verify some information.
Others will lie and say you won money in a lottery or sweepstakes but have to pay a fee to get it.
Scammers pressure you to act immediately.
They want you to act before you have time to think. If you’re on the phone, they might tell you not to hang up so you can’t check out their story.
They might threaten to arrest you, sue you, take away your driver’s or business license, or deport you. They might say your computer is about to be corrupted.
Scammers tell you to pay in a specific way.
They often insist that you can only pay by using cryptocurrency, wiring money through a company like MoneyGram or Western Union, using a payment app, or putting money on a gift card and then giving them the numbers on the back of the card.
Scammers may send you a check (that will later turn out to be fake), then tell you to deposit it and send them money.
Some of the ways you can avoid a scam just take a few minutes to implement and could protect you from serious financial issues and embarrassment.
Block unwanted calls and text messages on your mobile phone. You can do this through the settings on your phone or by downloading a call-blocking app.
Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect. Honest organizations won’t call, email or text to ask for your personal information, like your Social Security, bank account or credit card numbers.
If you get an email or text message from a company you do business with and you think it’s real, it’s still best not to click on any links. Instead, contact them using a website you know is trustworthy. Or look up their phone number. Don’t call a number they gave you or the number from your caller ID.
Resist the pressure to act immediately. Honest businesses will give you time to make a decision. Anyone who pressures you to pay or give them your personal information is likely a scammer.
Know how scammers tell you to pay. Never pay someone who insists that you can only pay with cryptocurrency, a wire transfer service, a payment app or a gift card. And never deposit a check and send money back to someone.
Stop and talk to someone you trust. Before you do anything else, tell someone—a friend, a family member, a neighbor—what happened. Talking about it could help you realize it’s a scam.
If you ever get a suspicious call from someone claiming to be with your electric cooperative, hang up and call us to verify.
