8 signs you might be being scammed

Whether you’re shopping online or looking for love on a dating app, keep this in mind: Online scams, ranging from banking scams to romance scams to crypto scams, are on the rise. More than 2.8 million people in the United States reported being victims of fraud in 2021, resulting in a combined loss of $5.8 billion, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Learning to practice better online security, including learning how to identify a scammer, will only become more important in the coming years.

“While it’s true that scammers and fraudsters’ schemes are becoming increasingly sophisticated, most still fundamentally rely on the idea of ​​social engineering,” says David Thomas, executive director of online programming at the University of Denver. “In other words, they play on human error and rely on convincing you to believe that something made up is actually true. Often it’s the little slips and little mistakes that give scammers away.”

That’s why it’s important to learn how to identify a scammer. There are several red flags and common themes associated with the vast majority of fraudulent schemes, and the scammers who perpetrate them, that you can keep a watchful eye on as you go.

1. Authority

Online scammers often claim to be contacting you on behalf of businesses, brands or organizations you know and trust. It’s important to remain suspicious of anyone who contacts you and claims to be from these companies, especially anyone pretending to be from the Social Security Administration or the Internal Revenue Service.

2. Calls out of the blue

If a company or government agency calls you unexpectedly on the phone, this is a hint that a scammer may be on the other end of the line. Hang up and contact the business or agency directly to find out if the call was OK.

3. A sense of urgency

Scammers’ claims often wither under sustained scrutiny, meaning it’s in their best interest to pressure you to act before you can think twice. Beware of anyone who tries to rush or pressure you into making a decision without first giving you time to verify and thoroughly consider their requests.

4. Word mistakes or grammatical errors

Scan any email, messages, or online chats you receive for spelling errors, grammatical errors, odd subject lines, or other discrepancies. Be sure to also check the domain of an email address—for example, instead of Amazon.com, an email could be from Amazon.net, a dead giveaway that the communication isn’t from the online retail giant not. Then read about Geek Squad scams and how to avoid this form of online fraud.

5. Will not appear on camera or meet you in person

Scammers are not above playing with your emotions, which is why romance scams, even military romance scams, are on the rise. Criminals build fake profiles on dating apps to lure you in with the promise of love, sometimes resorting to love bombing—and then try to coerce you into giving gifts or cash. To shut them down, it is essential to learn how to identify a scammer. Read these romance scammer stories to know how to identify and avoid a scammer.

Be aware of red flags such as a reluctance to appear on camera for video chats, meet in person or talk on the phone. If you suspect that your so-called love interest may be impersonating another party, you can do a reverse image search of their profile picture on Google. If you find other names with the photo, or it appears on a stock image website, alarm bells should ring.

Essentially, your best defense here is a good offense: Ask lots of questions, and don’t feel pressured to act quickly—after all, a normal and healthy relationship is built on trust and two parties willing to share openly.

6. A price that is too good to be true

With Facebook Marketplace scams, eBay, Amazon and Instagram scams on the rise, it’s important to shop smarter and protect your pocketbook. On social networks and fake online retailers specifically created to look like the real thing, it is not uncommon to find goods at steep discounts. Trust your instincts and know that if a price is too good to be true, it’s probably a scam. Even if you receive a receipt, you may never receive the item you paid for, or if you do, it may be very different in form or condition from what you thought you paid for. Learn how to protect yourself from fake ads on social media.

One way to combat these scammers is to look for verified and satisfied customer reviews. You’ll also want to examine other sellers’ pricing to see if the seller’s deals are in line with market rates, or so far below market standards that they’re way out of place (a possible red flag). Then read about these other Facebook scams to avoid.

7. A promise of easy money

Remember: No legitimate financial investment opportunity is guaranteed to ever pay off 100% of the time – and cannot legally be advertised as “guaranteed” income – so be very wary of anyone who promises it. Don’t buy a business, franchise or sales system that requires you to invest in expensive training or equipment upfront.

Also on the rise are job scams that often promise work-from-home opportunities that require minimal time and effort, such as product sales or mystery shopper positions, but require you to purchase expensive training, certification, or startup packages up front. After handing over the money, chances are you’ll never hear from the company again.

Just remember that a favorite trick of sweepstakes and lottery scammers is to let you know you’ve won a prize, but there’s a catch: you have to pay an (illegal) fee upfront to collect it.

8. Request an unusual payment option

It is not uncommon for romance scammers or someone who has hacked a friend’s social media account to request that you send money through peer-to-peer payment systems (PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, etc.), gift cards, Western Union, bank transfers or cryptocurrency tokens. Of course, the catch is that these payments can often be challenging to monitor, trace and recover, and sums sent in this way can quickly disappear from accounts to which they were directed. Your best defense, if you believe the request is legitimate, is to use a retail or payment platform that offers strong consumer protections, or to send payments through a credit card with similar security measures.

What to do if you think you’ve been scammed

If you are ever unsure whether another party’s request is correct, call or email the company directly at its official phone number or email to verify. If you do fall victim to a scammer, don’t be shy, as the statistics show, it happens too often. The most important thing to do is report it to the Federal Trade Commission and your local police.

Then read about Airbnb scams and how to avoid them.

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Source:

David Thomas, executive director of online programming at the University of Denver