Don’t Be Fooled: Tricks, Scams, and How to Avoid Them

 In the modern day of our internet, scams are everywhere. From spam emails, fake job offers, and false ads, it is getting harder and harder to determine what is real and what is fraud. In fact, according to the FTC, consumers in 2024 reported losses of $12.5 billion to fraud and scams. Over a third of people who fall victim to an online scam end up losing money, up from 27% in 2023, and that number is only growing. As scams become more and more prevalent, it’s important to know how to recognize them, how to avoid them, and how to protect yourself.

Phishing Scams

One of the most common scams on the internet today is the phishing scam. Phishing is a way for scammers to trick their victims into revealing sensitive information, usually through text or email, by posing as someone the victim trusts. This usually goes hand in hand with spoofing, where scammers disguise their email, handle, name, or address, to lure victims into a false sense of security. 

In phishing scams, you may receive an email from a person or organization that looks legitimate, such as a bank or family friend, asking for you to look at a website or update your information. Many times, these links lead to a website that looks and feels just like the real thing. However, entering any personal information, such as bank account information, credit card numbers, or social security, instead gives the scammer access to that information. Other times, they could be asking you to download a document or image, when the attachment is actually malware used to steal your information. Either way, by the time you realize that you’re not talking with who you believe it to be, it’s already too late.

Fortunately, there are many ways to protect yourself from phishing scams. The easiest way to identify a phishing scam is to take a moment to really look at the email or message you’ve received. Check the website name, the email address, and telephone number of the person contacting you for any incorrect information or spelling mistakes. It may be subtle, but will reveal if who you are talking to is legitimate or not. If it is a business, go to their website and reach out to them through it to confirm that they’ve sent you an email. If it is a person, reach out to them through a text or phone call to verify that they messaged you. Most importantly, never click on a link or download an attachment you don’t recognize. It’s always better to double-check first by inspecting a link to determine what site it actually leads to.

Tech Support Scams

Similar to phishing scams are tech support scams. Here, scammers pose as official personnel of legitimate organizations, offering to help you with an issue with your computer, account, or software. They may claim you’ve already been hacked, sometimes flooding your email with spam before reaching out, and offer to protect your account, or they may warn you about a serious issue that needs to be resolved immediately. They may ask you for a fee, or may just ask you for access to your computer. Either way, they’ll get what they want: your money and your personal information. 

Scams like these usually rely on a sense of urgency or danger to yourself and your information. They hope that the panic they instill will get their victims to act immediately without thought. Thus, it is important when presented with messages that demand you act now, or else, to slow down and think. Remember that legitimate organizations will never contact you out of the blue and urge you to give them access to your computer. If they claim to be an actual, trusted company, like with phishing scams, you can always go to the company’s website and reach out to them directly to confirm the legitimacy of the message. Finally, never let anyone claiming to be tech support remotely access your devices- only let trusted experts you know ever access your computers, phones, or tablets. 

Romance Scams

Sometimes, it starts out as an innocent ‘wrong number’ text. Sometimes, they may reach out to you via social media or dating sites claiming to be interested. No matter how it happens, romance scams are a common trick scammers use to quickly grow close to their victims and get them to share their personal information. These cons can be convincing, using photos and real information to twist people’s emotions and feelings to get them to do things they normally wouldn’t. They’re also usually long-term schemes that could take weeks or months to reveal themselves.

In romance scams, criminals present themselves as an attractive, single person looking for a relationship, romantic or otherwise, with their victim. Usually, they claim to live outside of their victim’s country, or work in a field that demands constant travel. They often have photos, either generated by AI or stolen from social media, that they use to ‘prove’ they are a real person. After establishing a relationship with their victim, sometimes over the course of weeks or months, they will have some sort of financial emergency, and ask for their victim to send them money. Once the victim does, the scammer disappears. 

Because of the emotional manipulation these cons use, romance scams can be hard to determine until it is too late. However, there are still ways to protect yourself from them. Firstly, be careful of the information you post publicly- social media sites are the ideal places for scammers to learn more about you and create a persona you might fall for. Also be wary of strangers reaching out to you out of the blue who seem too good to be true. Ask questions, reverse image search photos sent to you, and take things slowly. If someone you’ve never met in person suddenly asks you for money, even if you think you can trust them, treat it with suspicion. It may be a scam in disguise.

Investment Fraud

Investment fraud can take many forms. Advance fee schemes, pyramid schemes, fake job opportunities, and telemarketing scams are all forms of investment fraud that share common themes. With each of these scams, con artists will reach out, usually out of the blue, promising their victims something incredible. Sometimes, it’s an investment with guaranteed return. Other times, it’s a promise to send you fantastical amounts of money. Other times, it’s a job offer for your dream company. In any case, they all will ask you for some sort of money up front in return for the future they promise. 

The most important thing to remember with these types of promises is that if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Foreign princes offering you millions of dollars, job companies offering you positions with incredible benefits and salaries, and investors promising thousands in returns and dividends should always be treated with suspicion. Like romance scams, these schemes can sometimes target your emotions, either through sob stories or urgent demands. In the same way, you should always think critically about what is being promised, and why. Lastly, just like any other scam, always be wary of random messages from strangers.

What to Do if You’re a Victim

We’re not infallible. Sometimes, you may fall victim to an online scam. The most important thing to remember is that it isn’t your fault. Con artists are experts at what they do. They manipulate, lie, and trick you into believing them, using your emotions and fears against you to get what they want. These scammers are cruel, immoral criminals, and you should never feel guilty, stupid, or worthless for trusting them. 

If you do end up becoming a victim of a scam, immediately change all your passwords. Contact your financial institutions- many of them have programs and services to help victims of fraud protect their identity and information in the future. Use your computer’s antivirus software to ensure any malware the hacker might have installed is destroyed. You may also want to consider taking your devices to a professional service to wipe them clean of viruses and malware. Lastly, report any online scam at ic3.gov. While they may not be able to help you recover the funds or information you’ve lost, you can help protect others from future scams. 

Stay safe out there!