Scammers goals are to get your personal information and/or money. These fraudsters utilize fear, desperation, crisis, and pressure tactics to con and prey on their victims. Scammers' delivery methods and messaging can quickly change. Basic security measures can help protect you from the latest and most common scams.
• Enable multifactor authentication.
Add this feature to any account(s) that offer it as an option and try to use a non-SMS version to protect yourself from SIM swapping (theft of your cellular telephone number, a form of identity theft).
• Research companies.
Before you make a purchase or donation, take a few minutes to review the company. Do a web search for its name plus "scam" or "reviews". Research charities on Charity Navigator or Charity Watch.
• Do NOT refund or forward overpayments.
Be careful whenever a company or person asks you to refund or forward part of a payment. Often, the original payment will be fraudulent and taken back later.
• Be vigilant about unusual payment requests.
Scammers frequently request payments through wire transfers, money orders, cryptocurrencies, or gift cards. These types of payments can be more challenging to trace, and reverse compared to other payment methods, potentially leaving you with limited options for recourse.
If you're the victim of a scam, you can file a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC 1-877-382-4357 or visit IC3.gov) and your local law enforcement.