How to protect yourself against a scam

Recognising these common signs of a scam could help you avoid falling for one

Frequency of online scams have gone up

Online scams are becoming more and more common, yet there are few steps you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones from online attacks.

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Receive money from abroad

Pretending to be from a company you know

Scammers will pretend to sound offical and take it as far as using technology to change the phone number and caller ID.

Theres a problem or a prize

You’ll be told that you are in trouble or you’ve won a prize. Some will go as far to say your account has issues and they need to verify your information.

They’ll pressure you to act immediately

Once they pressure you they’ll use threats to keep your attention so you can’t verify their story. They might say your computer is about to be corrupted.

Scammers tell you to pay in a specific way.

They’ll try and get you to send money, put money on a gift card and send the number on the back to them.

What You Can Do to Avoid a Scam

Block unwanted calls and text messages. Take steps to block unwanted calls and to filter unwanted text messages.

Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect. Legitimate organizations won’t call, email, or text to ask for your personal information, like your Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers.

FAQs

How can I tell apart a scam email from a normal email or text message?

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. Legitimate businesses will give you time to make a decision. Anyone who pressures you to pay or give them your personal information is a scammer.

What if I get a message for immediate payment from an account I think is legitimate?

Never pay someone who insists you pay with a gift card or by using a money transfer service. 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.