How To Spot Fraud and Scams
Scammers may be sophisticated, but working together we can help stay ahead of them!
Fraud and scams are constantly evolving—and anyone can be a target. Scammers exploit emotions like fear, urgency, curiosity, or greed to manipulate victims into handing over money, information, or access. Being aware of common tactics and warning signs is your first defense.
Watch out for unsolicited calls, emails, or messages—especially those pressuring you to act quickly, asking for personal information, or demanding payment via unusual methods like gift cards or cryptocurrency. Scams often impersonate trusted institutions like banks, government agencies, or well-known companies.
Online, be cautious of too-good-to-be-true offers, fake websites, and job listings that ask for money upfront. On social media, scams can come from hacked accounts of people you know, offering investments or prizes.
Protect yourself by staying skeptical, verifying independently, using strong passwords and multifactor authentication, and reporting suspicious behavior. If something feels off, slow down, double-check, and don’t be afraid to say no.
This guide outlines specific examples and red flags to help you recognize and avoid a wide range of scams. Whether it’s a phone call, email, online post, or even a job opportunity—scams can take many forms. Learning what to look for is the first step to staying safe.
By reviewing the detailed sections, you can gain a deeper understanding of each scam type and learn specific actions to reduce risk and respond appropriately.
How to Tell If Emails or Text Messages Are Scams
Scam emails and text messages often try to create a sense of urgency or fear to trick you into giving away personal or financial information. Here are some key signs to help you identify these scams:
‼️Red Flags to Look Out For:
• Unfamiliar Sender: Messages from unknown numbers or email addresses, especially with misspelled domains (e.g., @amaz0n.com).
• Urgent or Threatening Language: Phrases like “Your account will be locked,” “Act now,” or “Immediate action required.”
• Too Good to Be True: Promises of winning money, prizes, or offers that seem overly generous or unexpected.
• Requests for Personal Information: Legitimate companies will not ask for Social Security numbers, bank account info, or passwords via email or text.
• Suspicious Links or Attachments: Links that don’t match the sender or direct you to unrelated websites. Attachments may contain malware.
• Spelling and Grammar Errors: Many scams come from non-native speakers and contain poor grammar or unusual phrasing.
❓What to Do If You Suspect a Scam:
• Do Not Click on any links or download attachments.
• Do Not Respond to suspicious messages.
• Report It to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or forward phishing emails to [email protected].
• Block the Sender and delete the message.
Social Media Marketplace Scams
The ‘great sale on your favorite brand’ scam
Scammers create ads on social media offering merchandise at great prices and set up bogus websites that all look exactly like genuine retailers. They’ll collect personal information or ask you to pay with a digital payment platform like Zelle® when you go to “check out”.
‼️How it can happen:
I was scrolling on social and saw a sale ad for one of my favorite brands. It looked just like other ads I’d bought from before. The discount was really good, so I clicked on it and went to what looked exactly like their website, even with the free shipping headline.
When I went to check out, I thought it was odd I couldn’t find a place for my credit card, just options for digital payment platforms like Zelle®. But I thought no big deal and paid with Zelle®. I got suspicious when I didn’t get a confirmation email right away like I usually do. I waited about three weeks, but the merchandise never showed up. I tried to put in a claim for fraud with my bank, but I was told there’s no way to get my money back.
❓Help protect yourself:
Always type in a company’s website address yourself to see if special sales or promo codes are listed there. If not, the ad you’re seeing and the website it’s taking you to are likely a scam. Where possible use your credit or debit card which offers protection features that may not be there if you pay by other means.
Home Services Scams
Watch out for social media ads for household services
Scammers advertise services like house cleaning, home repairs or installations at low prices on social media marketplaces. But when you book, they ask for a deposit using a payment app like Zelle® or a wire transfer. Then they never turn up and disappear with your money.
‼️How it can happen:
Social media ads
I’d been looking for a house cleaner when an ad appeared in my social feed for a cleaning company with a really good offer for first-time customers. I clicked on the ad and it took me to a professional looking website with good reviews and the cleaner’s contact information. I reached out to the cleaner and they had a special discount if I wired them a deposit for the first six cleanings, which I did. But no one turned up and the company never responded to my complaint. I wired the money so the cleaner had received the money right away. Then they just disappeared and I couldn’t get my money back.
Social media marketplaces
I needed a new boiler and saw a plumber advertising their services on a social media marketplace. When I clicked the link, it opened messenger and we texted back and forth about prices and some questions about the job. The plumber was very responsive and seemed to know his stuff. We agreed on a price so he booked me a time and date for the install. It was a big job so I wasn’t surprised he asked for half up front. He gave me his Zelle® info and I sent the deposit. A few days later I tried to confirm the appointment and got no response. I never heard from them again and no one turned up. I sent the money with Zelle® so he received the money right away. Then he disappeared, so I couldn’t get my money back.
❓Help protect yourself:
• Before you book any household job, read the reviews, check references and meet them in person.
• Get multiple written estimates from different companies and only hire licensed contractors.
• Never pay a deposit using a payment app like Zelle® or a wire transfer. Both are like giving someone cash. Once you send the money, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to get it back.
Company Impersonation Scams
Watch out for scammers impersonating banks and companies you trust
Scammers pretend to be from a company you know and trust, even having the company’s number appear on your caller ID. They contact you about a ‘problem’, such as fraud on your account that must be resolved immediately in order to protect you. They often trick you into making transfers or sending money as they instruct you on how to “fix” the problem.
‼️How it can happen:
I received a call from a woman who said she was a Bank representative. She said scammers had targeted my account and that I needed to send the money to a different account number immediately using Zelle® or wire transfer so that the scammer couldn’t take what was left. She was very professional and seemed to know everything about the bank. I asked her for her phone number, and it matched the one on the back of my debit card. I had no doubt I was talking to a Bank employee. So, I made the transfer to the account number she gave me, and she immediately hung up. I was horrified. My balance was zero.
I’m really tech savvy so I was one of those people who thought this would never happen to me. But she was so convincing and so nice. I really believed she was trying to help me keep my savings from being stolen.
❓Help protect yourself:
Always be suspicious of legitimate looking or sounding calls, texts or emails from companies saying there’s a problem with your account or anyone asking for personal information to confirm who you are. Hang up and don’t click links in texts or emails or call any phone numbers you are given. Instead, find the company’s contact information on their website and call the number listed there to ask if there’s a problem with your account. We will never ask you to send money to yourself or anyone else to resolve a fraud issue. To reach your card issuer, call the number on the back of your card or on the account statement.
Fake Listings & Property Rental Scams
Watch out for vacation rental and real estate scams
Scammers are posing as real estate agents and posting fake listings on vacation sites, looking to sell or rent a home that doesn’t exist. They’ll often pressure you into sending a ‘deposit’ to hold the property, saying there’s a lot of demand for it.
‼️How it can happen:
We’re a group on a tight budget, but we decide to splurge a bit. We found a great house on a major vacation rental website and emailed through the website. A man called us from his cell and was really nice. Since we were a group, he even said we could each pay our share of the deposit using Zelle® or a digital payment app. So, we each sent our share for the deposit, and later our shares for the balance.
As the trip date got closer, we called the guy to make sure everything was all set, but couldn’t get a hold of him. We emailed through the vacation rental but the guy who responded said he didn’t have our reservation and he had a different phone number. I called him in a panic, and he said he was the legitimate owner but that someone had copied his listing, right down to the exact wording. The legitimate owner said he’d reported the fake listing several times, but it still wasn’t taken down. We contacted the vacation rental website, but they said since we hadn’t paid through the site, their guarantee against fake listings did not apply.
❓Help protect yourself:
Most major property rental sites offer fraud guarantees, but only if you pay and communicate with the owners through the site. Try to see properties in person and avoid sending deposits through wire transfers or digital payments like Zelle® since that’s like sending cash and once you send it you may not be able to get it back.
Police & Government Scams
Watch out for fake cops and bogus official scams
Scammers impersonate officials like the police, IRS, immigration, or Social Security. They often use some of your personal information to make it seem even more authentic. Then they try to scare or intimidate you into sending money.
‼️How it can happen:
My phone’s caller ID said it was the sheriff’s office. The woman said I’d missed my grand jury date and that there was a warrant out for my arrest.
She gave me a judge’s name, which my husband looked up and he was a real federal judge at the address she gave. The woman said I could pay a fine and meet with the judge or be booked at the detention center. She said if I didn’t comply, I could be arrested if I was pulled over for any traffic violation, no matter how minor.
I was so worried. Threatening calls from the sheriff’s office kept coming. It was overwhelming, because of the personal stuff they knew about me and the things they said that were going to happen to me if I didn’t take care of it right away. I paid $1,500 thinking things would be settled. But they kept calling with more stories of why more money was needed. When my husband called the number they’d given us to confirm the appointment with the judge, there was no record of any appointment. That’s when we knew it was a scam. We lost a total of $5,000.
❓Help protect yourself:
Scammers can be very effective at sounding official and convincing you something bad has happened. Often, multiple scammers work together to make a story sound more real. Never trust a law enforcement, government, utility company, bank or others that contact you out of the blue, especially if they threaten you. Hang up and find a number for the organization yourself on their website and call them directly.
Pets
Watch out for irresistible cuteness
Scammers advertise adorable looking pets for sale that don’t exist. They often instill a sense of urgency by asking you to pay a deposit to secure the animal before someone else does. But then they either disappear or keep asking you for more money to “cover new costs.”
‼️How it can happen:
After our elderly dog passed away, my husband’s health deteriorated as he lost his cuddle buddy. So, I decided to surprise him with a new puppy. I found the perfect little dog online and contacted the “breeder.” They told me the puppy would be available in a few weeks, but they could reserve her for me with a small deposit. I paid it happily and relaxed.
But then things got complicated. First the “breeder” got in touch to say there was a problem with the payment and I needed to send another deposit. A day later there was a quarantine fee. Then a permit fee. I thought it was normal, so I went out and bought dog food and toys in preparation. But when the seller wanted another payment I complained, only to be threatened with a lawsuit for “puppy abandonment.”
At that point I called the police to be told there was no such law, the so-called breeder was really a criminal, and I couldn’t get my money back.
❓Help protect yourself:
• Do your homework—research the breeder and their reviews.
• Don’t send any payments or share personal information until you’ve seen the pet in person first.
Tech Support Scams
Watch out for the latest tech support and computer virus scams
Scammers pretend to be tech support from a well-known company. They either call, text or try to trick you into clicking on a link in an email, text or pop-up window, claiming there’s a problem with your computer like a virus or a billing issue. To fix it, you inadvertently give them remote access to your computer.
‼️How it can happen:
I got a giant yellow “alert” that covered my computer screen, saying my computer had been hacked. My cursor was even moving on its own, so something definitely seemed wrong. Another alert appeared that looked legitimately from the same brand as my computer, telling me to call the tech support line.
The man who answered was very professional and said they’d been seeing this attack happening a lot lately. He had me go to a website that had all sorts of cyber security information on it and click on a link. He said it would let him see my screen to gauge how bad the attack was. He had me sign into some unimportant websites like a movie site and my pet store. He said everything looked fine, but I should sign into my bank account to also check it. He said he couldn’t see my password as it showed up with just those dots in the password field. I told him there were no unusual transactions on my account, so he said it looked like it was all a false alarm and hung up.
Little did I know, that when I gave him remote access to my computer, he was able to see everything I typed. The scammers later signed into my bank account and transferred thousands out.
❓Help protect yourself:
Scammers know “virus alerts” immediately put computer users into a panic. Never click on virus alerts, even if they look like they come from your computer company or an anti-virus protection company. If you think your computer was impacted, talk to a reputable service provider.
Identity Theft
Watch out for strangers trying to get your personal information
If a scammer gets hold of sensitive information such as your birth date, social security number, banking information or usernames and passwords, they can use it to steal your identity. Then pretending to be you, they could commit crimes, steal money from your bank accounts, open credit cards, take out loans or even rent an apartment in your name.
‼️How it can happen:
I lost my wallet, which contained my social security number. Soon after, I began receiving strange letters from various banks and retailers, notifying me that I was approved for loans and credit cards. I hadn’t applied for any of these.
It became clear that someone had stolen my identity and was using it to open new lines of credit in my name.
❓Help protect yourself:
Identity theft can be devastating because it can take time to resolve, so think of your personal information as extremely valuable and guard it well.
• Never give your info to anyone who calls, texts or emails you.
• Only carry the cards you use regularly and never carry your social security card.
• Set up alerts for your bank accounts.
Crypto/Pic Butchering Scams
Watch out for a fast-growing scam: the pig butchering scam
The awful name “pig butchering” comes from scammers fattening up their victim over weeks and months, building friendly, trusted relationships before convincing them to invest in legitimate looking cryptocurrency platforms. The scammers control the platforms and will eventually take the money and disappear.
‼️How it can happen:
I’m a software engineer and I’ve read about all sorts of scams, and always thought, “I’d never fall for something like that”. For me, it started with a woman I met on a dating app. We were in different cities, so we both knew a relationship wasn’t going to happen. But over the course of several months, we had a lot of friendly back and forth texts and emails.
We had a lot of similar interests, including investing in the stock market. We both talked about how we’d missed out on the hot tech stocks, so we didn’t want to miss out on the crypto surge. I’d done well putting some money in crypto and she too said she’d made a mint. She sent me the link to the platform she used, and I checked it out. I know tech and this looked like a legitimate site, everything was very professional. I signed up for an account, deposited a small amount, and made $1,500 on my first investment.
I put some more money in and did well again. So over time, this became my go-to investment, ultimately putting in $1.6 million. My balance grew to over $8 million. I thought I was set, even thinking of retiring early and paying off my kids’ college.
Then I went to make a withdrawal for my son’s tuition bill. And I got a message that said, “You have to repay the loan before you can make a cash withdrawal”. I’d never taken out a loan, so I thought it was just a glitch. The app wanted $1.5 million from me, threatening to freeze my account if I didn’t pay. There was no way to resolve it. No one responded when I tried the customer service chat, emails and phone numbers. I asked my friend if she was having any issues and next thing I knew, she’d blocked me, and her online profile disappeared. I went on the FBI site and read about fake crypto websites and apps. My entire life savings was gone in a matter of months.
❓Help protect yourself:
It’s important to know that pig butchering scams often work slowly. The online “friend” you meet may spend weeks, even months, building up your friendship and trust. So be wary. An online friendship that turns to discussing investments is very often a scammer. Be suspicious of claims like having insider knowledge about cryptocurrency investment opportunities, which include promises of quick and large returns, or if the person encourages you to use a specific app or platform for investing.
Artificial Intelligence Scams
Watch out for Artificial Intelligence scams
Scammers use AI to clone voices impersonating people. One of the scams using AI is where they clone voices of loved ones, then call using that voice, pretending to be desperate for money to get out of trouble or danger. It’s very convincing.
‼️How it can happen:
I answered a call that I thought was my son because it sounded exactly like his voice saying he’d had an accident, injured someone, and was in police custody.
After hanging up, I received several calls from someone claiming to be his public defender. He gave me his name, the county clerk’s info and told me to how to wire $9,000 for his bail.
Luckily, I called my son’s wife first, who said nothing had happened to him. I genuinely believed that the person on the phone was him. It was his voice, using words he would use. The “public defender” also sounded like a lawyer. He wasn’t too pushy and spoke very calmly. It really does show how sophisticated scammers have become.
❓Help protect yourself:
AI generated voices sound very real because scammers get a small audio sample of someone’s voice and then run through an AI program that replicates the voice. So be extra careful of friends or family members calling suddenly and needing help. Hang up and call them back on a number you know to be theirs, or call someone else who knows them. You may also want to think twice before you post a video on social media because scammers can easily access a sample of your voice.
Money Mule Scams
Watch out for fake job offers – otherwise known as money mule scams
While you may think terms like “money mule” or “money laundering” refer to the drug trade, scammers have brought this movement of illicit funds into the corporate world. Unsuspecting “mules” are now often jobseekers applying for what appear to be legitimate job postings from legitimate companies. At some point in the hiring process, the “mule” is asked to receive and transfer money, usually from compromised accounts or through fraudulent checks, keeping a portion for themselves as compensation.
‼️How it can happen:
I found a job posting for a well-known company in my field on a major job site. Without giving it a second thought, I submitted the application and was contacted to do a video interview. It all went well, and I was offered the job with a nice signing bonus.
Before I started, my manager emailed that HR had doubled the amount of my bonus by mistake. He instructed me to go ahead and deposit the bonus check and to just use Zelle® to send back the overpayment amount. I assumed it was an honest mistake and certainly wasn’t going to make waves with my new boss, so I deposited the check and set up three different Zelle® payments. Lucky for me, my bank flagged the Zelle® payments as being unusual and blocked them. It turns out the job listing, the job, the bonus, and the bonus check were all fake.
❓Help protect yourself:
No honest potential employer will ever send you a check to deposit and then tell you to send part of the money back. Honest employers will also never ask you to pay to get a job. Anyone who does is a scammer.
You can also look up the name of the company or hiring manager along with the word “scam” or “complaint” to see if there’s any red flags. Remember that scammers are sophisticated and they know how to use technology, social media, and they even pay for ads to lure prospective victims.
Check Fraud
Be careful when using checks
Scammers can steal checks from mailboxes and those not properly disposed of after being
deposited. Then, they can use chemicals to erase and rewrite the checks to themselves. They can
also sell your personal info or use it to create counterfeit checks.
‼️Follow these check-writing tips:
• Use permanent ink so it’s harder to erase.
• Don’t leave empty space before the payee or dollar amount.
• Draw a line through the extra spaces.
• Sign the same way every time.
❓Tips:
• Mail checks from inside the post office.
• Keep documents safe.
• Review statements regularly.
• Monitor your accounts and verify the payee and check amounts.
• Consider alternative payment methods like your bank’s Online Bill Pay, Zelle® or your bank’s debit card.
Gift Cards
If you’re told to pay with a gift card — stop and think, it might be a scam.
Anytime someone says you need to pay with a gift card, it’s most likely a scam. Be aware that if you buy gift cards and give the scammer the gift card codes, it’s very unlikely you’ll get your money back.
‼️Think twice before choosing gift cards as a payment method:
• Do not buy gift cards for anyone who asks for them through phone, text, or email, especially if they’re threatening you. It’s most likely a scam.
• Do not give the gift card number or the 3 or 4 digit security code under the scratch off section to anyone.
• Do not send a picture of the gift card number or security code to anyone.
❓Tips:
If you’re asked to buy a gift card to pay for goods or services, it’s a scam warning flag.
