🚨 PSA: Slow down: A 65-year-old woman in Maine lost $23,000 to a scammer posing as Bank of America. The thief tricked her by saying they needed her to share her screen to stop an unauthorized transaction, then they had her complete a wire transfer to “protect” her money. If you get one of these “act now” calls, don’t bite. Hang up and call your bank.
That's not the FBI on the phone, but here's how scammers will scare you
There are plenty of scams in the wild that you need to know about. This time of year, holiday scammers are out in full force. Tap or click here for three of the most prominent holiday scams and ways to avoid them.
Those aren’t the only devious schemes to worry about. There’s a new ruse making the rounds where thieves pretend to be calling from the FBI. The thought of getting a call from an FBI agent is frightening enough, but this one adds scare tactics to rip you off.
Read on to find out how this scam works and a few ways to outsmart them.
Here’s the backstory
You already know how annoying unsolicited phone calls can be. But the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that some calls have gone from annoying to dangerous.
What’s happening now is scam callers are pretending to be FBI agents. If you get one of these calls, the fake agent will spin a frightening tale hoping to catch you off guard and steal your money.
One of the most popular schemes to watch for is the fake FBI agent calling to tell you that you owe a hefty fee to resolve a judgment that’s been entered against you.
The most important thing to remember is that no government agency will call out of the blue demanding money. Even if you owe a fee, you’ll first receive correspondence through snail mail.
Another method to catch victims is to claim that they failed to report for jury duty and must pay a fine. Another trick is alleging that the victim’s identity is implicated in a serious crime and law enforcement officials want to verify your details. As you can see, the ruse can take many turns.
Keep reading for tips on avoiding these types of scams.
How to outsmart imposter scams
The FTC wants everyone to know that federal agencies do not call or email individuals threatening arrest or demanding money. If you ever get such a call, it’s a scammer trying to scare you.
Scammer arrested after grandma spots his tricks - Here's what tipped her off
A scammer will try their luck with just about any scenario they can concoct. For example, an often-used tactic is when criminals call senior citizens claiming to be a relative. Then, pretending to be in debt or needing bond money, they will ask for wire transfers or cash deposits.
That random cryptocurrency you received? Here's how to tell if it's a scam
Cryptocurrency is a hot topic on social media. It seems like everybody is making a killing with digital currency, and that has people feeling left out. This makes crypto a prime target for scammers to use as bait to lure in victims.
A popular phone scam is back as a convincing text from a 'friend'
Scams are becoming more brazen the closer we get to the full-blown holiday season. Putting a new twist on an old scam seems the most common method, as thousands of people still get fooled. Tap or click here to see why this Microsoft email isn’t a scam.
⚠️ Targeting older adults: A 76-year-old man was duped out of $740,000 by criminals pretending to be government officials (paywall link). He had trouble logging into his retirement account and received a message from the firm (complete with a legit logo), telling him to call the fraud department. He sent money via bitcoin, wire transfers and gold to “secure” places. PSA: Government agencies will never call and tell you to move your money.
Protect your wallet: There's a new twist on ATM and wire transfer scams
The holiday season is fast approaching, which means scammers and cybercriminals will be out in full force once again. Tap or click here for details on a holiday decoration scam already circulating. Every year around this time, the number of security threats skyrocket.