Millennials are the newest scam target
(First, a weird image for this story, I know. I was playing around with Meta AI. Why? Coming on Monday, tips, tricks and don’ts of using AI to create art, logos and more. You don’t want to miss that newsletter!)
If you’re a millennial, or you love one from a safe financial distance, brace yourself: This age group is losing more money to scams than anyone else, boomers included.
Yes, the digital natives, the “I’ve got 47 tabs open” generation born between 1981 and 1996, are getting cooked online.
Millennials aren’t getting taken because they’re naïve. They’re falling for scams because the cons have gotten better and faster. Between work burnout, raising mini-humans, pending divorces, rising rents and pretending to understand tax forms, the bandwidth is low and the scams are high.
💼 The job offer
You get a text about a remote gig. It pays well, sounds flexible and looks like something you could actually do. No experience needed. But there’s a catch: To get started, you have to send money.
Sometimes it’s a background check fee. Other times, it’s buying a gift card or crypto to complete a task.
These fake hiring managers sound legit. They’ll email you contracts, logos and messages from fake HR reps. But once you send that payment? They vanish. The job never existed. And your money isn’t coming back.
📈 The investment tip
You get a DM from someone talking up a hot opportunity. Crypto, stocks or some new “AI coin” is about to explode. They might claim to be a well-known investor or financial adviser. The pitch sounds smart, like they know what they’re doing.
Sometimes it’s a one-on-one message. Other times, it’s a whole group chat hyping it up. But it always ends the same way: You put money in, and then the coin tanks or disappears. It was a setup from the start.
Pro tip: If your financial adviser has anime in their profile pic, maybe sit this one out.
📱 The pressing message
Fake Amazon texts. Fake alerts from your bank. A message saying your Netflix account is suspended or your tax refund is on hold. These scams use urgency to get you to click before you even think.
The link takes you to a phony website designed to steal your login or credit card info. And they look convincing. If something feels rushed or too dramatic, stop and double-check before you tap anything.
Here’s what to watch for:
- If someone offers you money but needs you to pay first, it’s a scam.
- If someone wants to “mentor” you in investing over text, WhatsApp or Telegram, it’s a scam.
- If a message feels urgent and wants you to click a link, don’t.
Slow down. Don’t be afraid to ask someone, “Does this sound weird to you?” Because if it does, it probably is.
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Tags: background checks, job, millennials, money, scams/scammers, text
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