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Scams to avoid 419 - Nigerian (Advance Fee Scams) Employment / Work at home scams Common phone & promotional scams Tech support scams How to avoid fake news & hoaxes Grandparent / relative scam IRS - Tax scams Charitable giving Scams targeting military & veterans Coronavirus (covid-19 ) scams

Behaviors that can make you a target for scammers

You respect authority. Many common scams are perpetrated by crooks impersonating a police officer, an IRS or Social Security agent, or a court representative. Always remember this: Government offices rarely call citizens to conduct business — and they never demand quick payment.
You like to please people. No matter how trusting or kind you are, it is good practice to always be skeptical and aware that you may be a target of a scam.
You are confident. If you've never been defrauded or believe you are immune to being cheated, think again. Scammers are professionals — and endlessly creative.
You slipped up once. If you have already been a victim of fraud, chances are good the fraud calls and attempts will increase. Fraudsters put your information on a “victim list” that gets sold to other scammers or criminal rings.
You’re friendly. Many people get scammed on social media via a friend request. Try to limit social media contact to real friends and family, and turn down requests from people you don’t know.
You are under stress. People are often tricked into giving away personal info while dealing with an illness or another stressful event. People who have recently lost a loved one are also vulnerable, especially if the obituary reveals details that a crook can use as bait. Be especially vigilant during times of crisis.
You’re lonely. Many scam victims report feeling lonely and isolated from family and friends. That makes them susceptible to the fake friendliness of professional thieves.

The Basics:

If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is!
You should not have to pay a fee of any sort to claim a legitimate prize.
Never pay to play in a sweepstakes.
Never pay money to claim a prize.
Do NOT give out prepaid or gift card serial # off the back of the card to someone you do not know.

Documents to protect:

Never give out credit card numbers over the phone, in emails or to websites unless you initiated the call or order.
Never give out your Social Security number or bank account number over the phone.
Do not carry your Social Security card or Medicare card in your wallet.
Keep sensitive documents at home in a locked file cabinet.
Only give to charities you know. Check out unfamiliar charities.

Avoid Home Repair or Contractor Fraud

Be an informed consumer. Take the time to call and shop around before making a purchase. Take a friend with you who may offer some perspective to help you make difficult decisions.

Carefully read all contracts and purchasing agreements before signing and make certain that all of your requirements have been put in writing.

Make sure you understand all contract cancellation and refund terms.

As a general rule take control of all of your transactions as a consumer.

Do not allow yourself to be pressured into making purchases, signing contracts, or committing funds. These decisions are yours and yours alone.

Never let yourself be rushed into a “deal.” This usually means the person is up to no good. Ask for details in writing and time to review them with a trusted friend, advisor or attorney.

Obtain several estimates before you have any renovations or work done.

As a rule, do not have work done on your home by companies or individuals contacting you and offering deals.

Do not pay for work in advance.

Check references, telephone numbers and home addresses.

Contractors must be licensed by law. Check license numbers.

Close the door on pushy solicitors.

Know to whom you are talking. Verify a situation with another family member before wiring or sending money.

To do:

Register with the Do Not Call Registry.
Use a cross-cutting shredder to destroy sensitive mail and other documents before throwing them away.
Opt-out of receiving pre-screened offers based on your credit data.
Regularly review your financial and credit records for signs of fraud.

The Crimes

Obituary scam - Using obituaries to target recent widows, scammers attempt to collect false debts of the deceased.
Magazine subscriptions - Company sends free magazines and convinces a senior he owes money for the subscription.
TV shopping trickery - As-Seen-On-T.V. products hide extra fees and charges in the fine print.
The IRS - Tax scams persist year-round, threatening people with jail time or prosecution if they don’t pay debts to the Internal Revenue Service. Given that fake IRS phone calls continue to plague consumers, the IRS itself has repeatedly published a list of things you will not experience with a legitimate IRS representative, including phone calls demanding payment, threatening arrest and asking for specific payment methods like a prepaid debit card.
A payday lender - “Congratulations, you’ve been approved for a payday loan!” This is a variation on the sweepstakes scam and the call from “your credit card company” offering you lower interest rates. A good rule of thumb: If you didn’t apply for a loan, ask for a rate adjustment or enter a sweepstakes, it’s probably a scam.
Yourself - If your own phone number ever pops up on your phone screen, don’t answer. It may seem harmless in the moment, but this scam reportedly collects and classifies numbers of people who answer the phone as good numbers to target with other scams. It may be tempting to see who’s on the other end of the line — since it clearly isn’t you — but you may be signing yourself up for many more unwanted phone calls.
Helpful nephew scam - Trusted relative visits a senior frequently and asks to borrow money, knowing the request will be forgotten.
Grandparent scam - Perpetrator poses as a grandchild of the older adult and requests that he or she load a MoneyPak or wire money to help “the grandchild” get out of a bad situation. Scammer may call late at night pretending to be a grandchild in need of emergency funds by wire.
Fake accident ploy - Similar to the Grandparent scam, here a perpetrator convinces an older adult that the older adult’s child has been seriously injured or is in jail and needs money for medical treatment or bail.
Investment scams - Salesperson convinces a senior that an unusual asset, like a horse farm, is worth significant investment.
Pet adoption - Experts believe at least 80% of sponsored advertisements about pets may be fake.
Charitable donations - Unscrupulous charities take advantage of generosity and memory loss to request donations repeatedly.
Grant fraud scam - Perpetrator poses as a representative of a government agency or some other organization with an official sounding name. He or she contacts older adult notifying him or her that they’ve been selected to receive a grant and requests the older adult’s checking account number in order to deposit grant the funds into the account.
Sweepstakes - ‘Contest’ claims a senior won a prize and needs to send in money to collect winnings.
Theft of income – Most common form of financial exploitation and fraud; is typically between $1,000 - $5,000 per transaction.
Theft of assets – Often more extensive and typically involves abuse associated with Powers of Attorney, real estate transactions, identity theft or tax manipulation. Some forms of exploitation may be considered “scams,” in which a person (or persons) unknown to the adult (a stranger) attempts to trick the victim for financial gain. Vulnerable adults, who may be more trusting, gullible, or less financially sophisticated, are often the preferred targets of scams.
Mystery shopper - Perpetrator enlists older adult to become a “mystery shopper” for them and sends older adult a counterfeit cashier’s check. They are instructed to cash the check, wire a portion back to the perpetrator and keep the remaining amount (appeals to those on a fixed or limited income).
Power of attorney fraud – The perpetrator requests a Limited or Special Power of Attorney, specifying that legal rights are given to manage funds assigned for investment to the perpetrator, a trustee, an attorney, an asset manager, or other title that sounds official and trustworthy. Once the rights are given, the perpetrator uses the funds for personal gain.
Sweetheart scam – The perpetrator enters the victim’s life as a romantic interest in order to gain influence and eventual financial control. This type of scam often goes unreported due to the embarrassment and emotional impact on the victim. At times the victim knows they are being duped but they simply don’t want to be alone.
Pigeon drop – A victim is approached by a stranger (or strangers) claiming to have found a large sum of money who offers to share it with the victim. However, the fraudster requests “good faith” money and offers to accompany the victim to the bank to withdraw the funds. In return, the victim is given an envelope or bag that contains blank pieces of paper rather than money.Exploitation by a financial institution employee – While institutions go to great lengths to avoid hiring known fraudsters and employ monitoring and access controls to prevent them from unnecessarily accessing customers’ records, some employees may abuse their relationships or use their knowledge of internal processes to steal from their elderly customers.
Financial institution examiner impersonation fraud – The victim believes that he or she is assisting authorities to gain evidence leading to the apprehension of a financial institution employee or examiner that is committing a crime. The victim is asked to provide cash to bait the crooked employee. The cash is then seized as evidence by the “authorities” to be returned to the victim after the case.
Unsolicited work – Victims are coerced, intimidated or otherwise conned into paying unreasonable amounts for poor quality work for services such as roofing, paving, auto body repair, etc. Often the work is fully paid for, but never started or of such poor quality that the victim must pay legitimate contractors to repair the work. Sometimes the work is only partially completed and the fraudster will insist that more money must be paid for the job to be completed. Often the perpetrator will accompany the victim to the bank to withdraw cash to pay for the substandard or incomplete work.
Fake computer repair (tech support) - Perpetrator informs an older adult that his or her computer isn’t working appropriately and convinces the older adult to provide access to his or her computer and passwords, bank account or personal information.
Misappropriation of income or assets – A perpetrator obtains access to a vulnerable adult’s Social Security checks, pension payments, checking or savings account, credit or ATM cards, and withholds portions of checks cashed for themselves.
Foreclosure rescue scam – The perpetrator claims to be able to instantly stop foreclosure proceedings on the victim’s real property. The scam often involves the victim deeding the property to the perpetrator who says that the victim will be allowed to rent the property until some predetermined future date when the victim’s credit will have been repaired and the property will be deeded back to the victim without cost. Alternatively, the perpetrator may offer the victim a loan to bridge his or her delinquent payments, perhaps even with cash back. Once the paperwork is reviewed, the victim finds that his or her property was deeded to the perpetrator. A new loan may have been taken out with an inflated property value with cash back to the perpetrator, who is now the property owner. The property very quickly falls back into foreclosure and the victim, now tenant, is evicted.
Reverse mortgage scam – Fraudsters may target senior citizens who have accumulated a sizeable amount of equity in their home. While there is nothing illegal with reverse mortgage products, the process can be complex and homeowners must carefully review all of the terms and conditions (preferably with family members and an attorney) before signing anything. Unscrupulous estate planners may charge fees for information that is available at no charge from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or “mortgage consultants” may insist that unnecessary renovations must be done to the home in order to qualify for the loan and specify which contractor should be used to make these repairs.
Debt relief scams – Senior Americans are using their credit cards more to compensate for decreasing retirement portfolios and increasing medical costs, and financially distressed elders may be susceptible to debt relief scams by unscrupulous companies that promise to repair a bad credit report or renegotiate a debt. Seniors may fall victim to these companies that seek upfront fees for services that are often provided at little or no cost by the government. They may instruct the senior to redirect the payments to them, not the creditor, and either keep the payment entirely or charge exorbitant fees (sometimes 50%) as service charges. These companies often require payment in cash or money order, claiming that this decreases their overhead costs and keeps fees to a minimum, when it’s actually done so the payments cannot be tracked like credit or debit card payments.
Telemarketing or charity scams – The victim is persuaded to buy a valueless or nonexistent product, donate to a bogus charity, or invest in a fictitious enterprise. Seniors are particularly vulnerable to this type of fraud because they are often at home during the work day to answer the phone. Social isolation is also a factor where fraudsters prey on lonely seniors anxious for someone to talk to. They devise schemes that require multiple phone calls and development of a trusting relationship.
Fictitious relative – The perpetrator calls the victim pretending to be a relative in distress and in need of cash, and asks that money be wired or transferred either into a financial institution account.
Identity theft – Using one or more pieces of the victim’s personal identifying information (including, but not limited to, name, address, driver’s license, date of birth, Social Security number, account information, account login credentials, or family identifiers), a perpetrator establishes or takes over a credit, deposit or other financial account in the victim’s name. Fraudsters gather victim’s information through various means; however, senior citizens are often susceptible to social engineering techniques that fraudsters use, such as “phishing” to entice victims to supply personal information such as account numbers, login IDs, passwords, and other verifiable information that can then be exploited for fraudulent purposes. Phishing is most often perpetrated through mass emails and spoofed websites, but it can also occur through old fashioned methods such as the phone, fax and mail.
Lottery scan or advance fee fraud “419” frauds. Named after the relevant section of the Nigerian Criminal Code, this fraud is a popular crime with West African organized criminal networks. There are a myriad of schemes and scams – mail, email, fax and telephone promises are designed to entice victims to send money, ostensibly to bribe government officials involved in the illegal conveyance of millions outside the country. Victims are to receive a percentage for their assistance.

There are many variations of phishing and 419 schemes, but they all have the same goal: to steal the victims’ money or personal and account information.
Money transfer scams - Often part of an Advance Fraud Scheme, a perpetrator convinces an older adult to send funds via Western Union or other money transfer services, using a number of elaborate schemes.

Relatives and Caregivers

Unlike strangers, relatives, caregivers, and others with fiduciary responsibilities, hold a position of trust and have an ongoing relationship with the vulnerable adult. Financial exploitation occurs when the offender steals, withholds or otherwise misuses the victim’s money or assets for personal profit.
Perpetrators take advantage of the victim and rationalize their actions in various ways. For example, perpetrators may feel that they are entitled to receiving their inheritance early and do not view their actions as wrong, while others simply take advantage of the victim. The tactics used by these offenders may include intimidation, deceit, coercion, emotional manipulation, psychological or physical abuse and/or empty promises. The offender may try to isolate the victim from friends, family and other concerned parties who would act in the victim’s best interest. By doing so, the perpetrator prevents others from asking about the person’s well-being or relationship with the offender and prevents the person from consulting with others on important financial decisions.
Methods can include:

Theft of the victim’s money or other cash-equivalent assets (e.g., stocks, bonds, savings bonds, travelers checks), both directly and through establishing joint accounts or signatory authority on existing accounts. Perpetrators may convince the elder to add them to the account as an authorized user without the elder understanding that the perpetrator can withdraw funds without their knowledge.
Borrowing money (sometimes repeatedly) with no intent to repay.
Cashing or keeping some portion of the person’s pension, Social Security or other income checks without permission.
Using the victim’s checks or ATM, debit or credit cards without permission.
Transferring title on, or re-encumbering, real property of the vulnerable adult. Financial exploitation utilizing real property is particularly appealing to family members or caregivers who may feel they are “owed” something for their efforts, however meager those efforts may be in reality. For many vulnerable adults, their most significant economic asset may be the equity they have built in their real property over decades of ownership. See also foreclosure rescue scam.
Opening or adding their name to banking accounts without the elder’s permission. Often, a fraudster may use the victim’s personal information to open an account online, as opposed to opening an account at a branch location. The fraudster often opts to receive online statements to avoid having statements sent to the victim’s address and elude detection.

Avoid Health Insurance Fraud

Never sign blank insurance claim forms.
Never give blanket permission to a medical provider to bill for services rendered.
Ask your medical providers what they will charge and what you will be expected to pay out-of-pocket.
Carefully review your insurer’s explanation of the benefits statement. Call your insurer and provider if you have questions.
Do not do business with door-to-door or telephone salespeople who tell you that services of medical equipment are free.
Give your insurance/Medicare identification only to those who have provided you with medical services.
Keep accurate records of all health care appointments.
Know if your physician ordered equipment for you

Medicare Scams

Protect your Medicare number as you do your credit card numbers and do not allow anyone else to use it.
Be wary of salespeople trying to sell you something they claim will be paid for by Medicare.
Review your Medicare statements to be sure you have in fact received the services billed.
Report suspicious activities to 1-800-MEDICARE.

Avoid Telemarketing Scams

6 Warning signs that its a phone scam: If you hear these--or similar--"lines" from a telephone salesperson, just say "no thank you," and hang up the phone.

"You must act 'now' or the offer won't be good."
"You've won a 'free' gift, vacation, or prize." But you have to pay for "postage and handling" or other charges.
"You must send money, give a credit card or bank account number, or have a check picked up by courier." You may hear this before you have had a chance to consider the offer carefully.
"You don't need to check out the company with anyone." The callers say you do not need to speak to anyone including your family, lawyer, accountant, local Better Business Bureau, or consumer protection agency.
"You don't need any written information about their company or their references."
"You can't afford to miss this 'high-profit, no-risk' offer."

9 Tips to Avoid Telemarketing Fraud:

Always ask for and wait until you receive written material about any offer or charity. If you get brochures about costly investments, ask someone whose financial advice you trust to review them. But, unfortunately, beware -- not everything written down is true.
Don't buy from an unfamiliar company. Legitimate businesses understand that you want more information about their company and are happy to comply. It's never rude to wait and think about an offer. Be sure to talk over big investments offered by telephone salespeople with a trusted friend, family member, or financial advisor. Always take your time making a decision. Legitimate companies won't pressure you to make a snap decision.
Do your research. Always check out unfamiliar companies with your local consumer protection agency, Better Business Bureau, state Attorney General, the National Fraud Information Center, or other watchdog groups. Unfortunately, not all bad businesses can be identified through these organizations.
Ask for information. Obtain a salesperson's name, business identity, telephone number, street address, mailing address, and business license number before you transact business. Some con artists give out false names, telephone numbers, addresses, and business license numbers. Verify the accuracy of these items.
Sending money. Before you give money to a charity or make an investment, find out what percentage of the money is paid in commissions and what percentage actually goes to the charity or investment. Never send money or give out personal information such as credit card numbers and expiration dates, bank account numbers, dates of birth, or social security numbers to unfamiliar companies or unknown persons.
You must not be asked to pay in advance for services. Pay services only after they are delivered. Some con artists will send a messenger to your home to pick up money, claiming it is part of their service to you. In reality, they are taking your money without leaving any trace of who they are or where they can be reached.
Don't pay for a "free prize." If a caller tells you the payment is for taxes, he or she is violating federal law.
Before you receive your next sales pitch, decide what your limits are -- the kinds of financial information you will and won't give out on the telephone.
Never respond to an offer you don't understand thoroughly. Before you send money, ask yourself a simple question. "What guarantee do I really have that this solicitor will use my money in the manner we agreed upon?

ATM Card 419 Scam: The ATM Card Payment Scam is used in conjunction with other scams, such as a fake Lottery Scam, Unpaid Contractor Scam or similar exploits. The victim is promised an ATM card with which the victim can withdraw millions dollars (up to a large limit per day) at any location that accepts ATM cards. However like all Advance Fee Frauds, the victim must pay a fee to receive the card. If it ever is received, it will not work. A "Replacement card" will be offered, again for a fee.
Auction 419 Scam: The scammer "wins" an auction on eBay or another auction site, then "overpays" for the item with a check or money order. The scammer then asks the target to send him the overage and the scam segues into Cashier's Check 419.
Black Currency 419 Scam: The scammer has a large amount of currency available to share with the target, but the currency has been defaced. However, the currency can be cleaned if the target will purchase enough of the correct cleaning solution (this type of 419 is also called "wash wash"). Black Currency 419 "tales" and techniques are commonly used in many other types of 419 operations.
Cashier's Check 419 Scam: The scammer has Cashier's Checks or money orders he/she needs cashed, and the target can keep a percentage of the check for cashing it and forwarding the proceeds net his commission to the scammer. Then the original check or money order sent to the target eventually bounces, and the target is out the money advanced to the scammer. The target also is cash out to his bank for any problems with his account caused by the bouncing of the original check as he must make up any overdrafts and pay any relevant fees etc. Many other types of 419 are in actuality variants of Cashier's Check 419.
Charitable Organization 419 Scam: The scammer approaches a charitable organization with a request for help, usually about getting a large sum of money transferred out of a country in which the charitable organization's brethren can claim to be persecuted. A percentage of the proceeds is often offered to the charitable organization for their assistance. The scammer needs monies for fees in order to get the monies freed up.
Chat Room 419 Scam: The 419 meets the target online in a chat room etc. or through a dating or instant messenger online service, befriends the target, and gets the target to advance him/her monies for various reasons. Often segues into Romance 419 or Cashier's Check 419.
Classic 419 Scam: The scammer has or can gain access to a large sum of money by some means and he/she needs the financial and personal help of the target, in return for a percentage of the funds, to get the necessary transactions processed and get monies out of the country. Many other types of 419 are in actuality variants of Classic 419. Also, Classic 419 often segues into Black Currency 419.
Classified Ad 419 Scam: The scammer buys something from a classified ad and then pays with a bad check or segues into Cashier's Check 419.
Disaster 419 Scam: The scammer says someone has been killed in a plane crash, earthquake, tsunami, or other disaster, leaving a large sum of money behind which can be claimed by the target or split between the target and the scammer if the scammer can be advanced the monies necessary to process the transaction. Often segues into Black Currency 419.
Employment 419 Scam: The scammer "employs" the target to process financial transactions for a commission and has the target advance the net proceeds of these transactions to the scammer before the checks sent to the target bounce (segues into Cashier's Check 419). Also, another form, where the scammer offers a lucrative job to the target but certain fees must be paid up front by the target to get the job.
Extortion 419 Scam: The scammer says that if the target does not send him money the scammer will hurt or kill the target and/or his family.
Goods and Services 419 Scam: The scammer orders goods or services advanced to him on credit and then does not pay or pays with a bad check, often segues into Cashier's Check 419.
Next of Kin / Inheritance 419 Scam: The scammer informs the target that someone has died with no relatives to claim the large cash bequest left by the deceased. Often, the scammer says that if someone does not claim the money it will revert to the Government and no-one will get it. The target is asked to "stand in" as a relative to claim the money, with the scammer taking care of all the details, and then split the proceeds with the scammer. The scammer needs monies for fees to get the target declared the rightful inheritor.
Lottery 419 Scam: The scammer says the target has won a lottery, but fees and taxes etc.must be paid before the proceeds can be released.
Oil Scam 419 Scam: The scammer has secured a large amount of oil at below market prices, and the target can get in on the deal for a fee.
Real Estate 419 Scam: The scammer wants to buy real estate, but cannot free up his monies just now to do it, so he asks the target to advance him/her all or some of the funds for the purchase in return for partial ownership of the real estate or a large future fee to be paid to the target.
Recovery 419 Scam: The scammer claims he/she can recover monies lost by the target in a previous 419 operation, but fees must be paid in advance to accomplish this.
Reload 419 Scam: The scammer approaches a target who has already been scammed by a 419 fraud and offers the target another type of 419 deal to enable the target to "replace" his/her lost monies or the scammer claims has can bring the previous deal to fruition, if necessary fees are paid by the target.
Reshipper 419 Scam: The scammer will attempt to obtain stolen merchandise for personal use or to sell. Because many companies will not send merchandise to Nigeria or Eastern Europe due to warnings about stolen credit card purchases, the scammer must find an in-country person to receive then reship the goods.
Romance (Love or Dating) 419 Scam: The scammer is in love with the target, but needs money to clear up various problems the scammer is having before he/she can be with the target, often segues into Cashier's Check 419.
Unpaid Contractor 419 Scam: In this variant of the Classic 419 Scam Advance Fee Fraud, the scammer will claim to be with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) or some government ministry. The name of CBN president Charles Soludo is often used in this scam. The victim is told to pose as a contractor who has not yet been paid by the Nigerian government from a "completed project". The money is to be split between victim and the scammer. Payments from the victim will be required to participate in this crime.
War Booty 419 Scam: The scammer says he is a trooper who has stumbled across a large sum of war booty and will pay the target a percentage if the target helps him/her personally and financially to get it out of the country. Often segues into Black Currency 419.
Will Scam 419 Scam: The scammer informs the target that a distant relative has died leaving a large sum of money which the target can inherit if the proper fees are paid.

Never provide sensitive financial or personal information. Do not release your social security number, bank account or PIN, PayPal, or credit card information. There is absolutely no reason why a recruiter or employer would require any such information from you. Never impart any financial information. You will eventually have to provide your social security number to an employer -- when you're completing a job application or employment contract -- but do so only after you have validated that the company is legitimate.
Don't agree to have your earnings direct deposited into your bank accounts from any new or unknown employer. While direct deposit is a much more efficient method for getting paid for your services, you do not want to grant any organization access to your account until you know it is completely legitimate and trustworthy.
Never agree to a wire transfer of any sort. Any mention of a wire transfer -- or sending money to make more money - should force an involuntary action to delete the message. No legitimate job opportunity is going to involve wire transfers.
Be wary of any recruiter who asks for money from you upfront in return for finding you a job or providing job leads. Legitimate recruiters get paid by the employers for whom they place candidates - not from the candidates. Furthermore, most of the scammers who ask you to pay for job leads will provide you -- if they actually do so -- with the same ones you could find on a search of Indeed or other job-search engine.
Reject job postings or emails that state that no experience or expertise is required for the position. All legitimate job openings have some sort of job description that includes information about education, skills, and experience required to qualify for the position.
Carefully examine the email details of unsolicited job offers. Emails that claim to be from a legitimate company but then have a return email address with a general (free) email site GMAIL and not the company address are not to be trusted. Also carefully examine links in emails to guarantee they are linking to a legitimate Website rather than some fake site.
Request more details from prospective employers who provide little or no details in their job postings or emails. Vague promises can be very persuasive, but the truth lies in the details - so request detailed information about the services they provide or the job they are hiring for. Request and review contracts carefully. Consult with a lawyer when you have serious concerns or questions.
Ignore postings that guarantee you a job - especially ones that guarantee you a postal or government civil servant job. These scammers basically provide you with information about the government exam - for a large fee -- that you could easily find for yourself for free.
Don't be swayed by amazing testimonials or money-back guarantees. These are simply marketing gimmicks designed to make you feel more at ease in falling for the scam. While testimonials can be real, even legitimate companies have been caught making them up. And money-back guarantees are worthless unless you have the time and money to sue - if you can even find the scammers to do so.
Harness the power of the Internet to research all job opportunities. Do a background check of the prospective employer with the Better Business Bureau, Federal Trade Commission, and Internet Fraud Complaint Center.

I received a check from a new employer whom I met online. The employer needs me to send money back.

This is a typical fraud scam, usually referred to as a “work from home scam.” They usually start with a job posting on an online platform such as a social media site, online marketplace, or career building website. The ad will boast short and flexible hours, great pay and little training. The job may have you wrap your car in an advertisement. Or it may involve you becoming a secret shopper. Either way, the new employer will mail a check to you. Then they’ll expect you to deposit the check into your checking account and use the funds to purchase equipment or pay for items for the job.

The employer will request you send the remainder of the funds back immediately. They may ask that the money be sent by Western Union or MoneyGram. Or they may request you send the funds through a Prepaid or GiftCard. By the time the check has been returned as fraudulent, you have sent money to a fraudster who is waiting to take it so it cannot be retrieved.

If you’ve decided to work for an employer you found online, be sure to research them thoroughly. Look up the business online, give them a call, and make sure the company is legitimate. Do not call the phone numbers provided in the paperwork sent by the “employer.”
If you’ve received a check, following these steps will help protect you from falling victim to a fraudulent check scam.

Did the check come with a letter? If so, read the letter carefully. Many fraud scams start with a letter and a check. The letter will have instructions to send money or purchase a money order. Do an internet search to find out if other people have received letters for the same purpose.
Research the business that issued the check. You’ll find the name of the business in the top left-hand corner of the check. If you find a listing online, call the business and ask them if they issued the check. Do not call the phone number provided on the check or in the email as it could lead back to the fraudster.
If you have trouble finding any information, take the check to the financial institution that issued the check and they will be able to verify whether it’s legitimate.
If you have concerns that the check may fraudulent, take it and the accompanying letter into the nearest branch of your financial institution to discuss with a manager or call them.

How to find real job possibilities

Search through reputable channels. Look at job listings on well-known, legitimate employment websites, as well as job openings posted on websites of companies where you might like to work. Check job postings that are available through your college’s career center. Work with reputable employment agencies (check to see if they are required to be licensed in your area). Ask friends and relatives to let you know of job opportunities.

Visit our resources section for legitimate sites on finding and researching a job.

Stick to job opportunities that you have researched and applied for yourself. Avoid job opportunities that are offered by strangers who may contact you by email, phone, or social media. Do not respond to job offers that you did not apply for. Even when you are submitting an application, check to be sure that the job is legitimate before making contact.
Always check job listings to verify whether they are genuine. Be aware that even reputable websites and college career centers can have job scam listings posted, especially sites and bulletin boards such as Craigslist, where posting is easy to do and free. If you publish your resume on a job website, this can sometimes lead to unwanted contacts from potential scammers.

Visit the website of the potential employer’s company by searching for it online. Check all the jobs posted on that website, to see if the job you are interested in is listed there. If it is not, that is a red flag that the job you are interested in might not be a real one.

Do an Internet search of the company name with the word “scam” to see if any warnings from scam victims come up in search results.

Check to see if the company has a track record with www.bbb.org, in social media, or in websites such as Glassdoor where employees post reviews of their employers.

Be aware that scammers also steal the identities of real companies to commit their frauds. Sophisticated scammers can create bogus checks and websites that look real. They may also use stolen names and photos of actual employees to help them convince victims that job scams are real opportunities.

Know which job types are often used in scams. Certain kinds of employment are frequent targets for scammers. Be especially cautious if seeking work in these fields: there may be real jobs available in rare cases, but scam jobs are much more common.

Common job types targeted by scammers include caregiving, virtual administrative assistant, customer service representative, driver of an advertising-wrapped car, security guard, medical billing, processing rebates, envelope stuffing, re-packing and re-shipping merchandise, posting reviews online or conducting online searches, secret or mystery shopping, forwarding or transferring payments, or other types of work-at-home employment. Some scam job offers may appear on websites that specialize in professions such as caregiving.

Also, some glamorous-sounding jobs may be high-scam areas, such as modeling, acting, movie or TV-related jobs, and sports or entertainment marketing. Such scam jobs typically target people with no prior experience, which is a signal to be very wary.

Manage your social media accounts to protect yourself. Some scammers may try to gain greater access to your social media account to learn more about you, either to target you and your contacts with scam offers, or to use your identity for scam purposes.

Be cautious about accepting friend requests from people you don’t know, even if you have some friends in common. Accept invitations only from people that you have checked out or that you have met.

You can set your social media privacy controls to limit the ability of strangers to contact you that way. This can help protect you against job scam approaches that come through social media.

10 ways to recognize a job scam

Job offers from strangers. If someone offers you a job without getting an application from you first, meeting you, or doing an interview, it’s a scam.
High pay for simple work. Be wary if ads, emails, or callers promise to pay a lot of money for jobs that don’t seem to require much effort, skill, or experience. Usually such offers turn out to be a scam.
Requests for money. If someone wants you to pay a fee or buy something to get work, stop. This is a sure sign of a scam. Once you’ve paid, the scammer disappears and so does your money.

Criminals may ask you to pay money to cover application or enrollment fees, employment screening fees, purchase of materials or office supplies, shipping costs, training fees, and so on.

If you wire a payment to somebody, it may not be possible to get your money back. Scammers may also ask you to purchase gift cards and provide the card’s code numbers or request other forms of payment that are quick and hard to recover, such as payment apps.
Requests for personal identity or financial information. Be very suspicious if an unfamiliar “employer” or recruiter asks for your Social Security number, birth date, bank account number, or other private information that could be used to steal your identity.

An employer should never request your Social Security number prior to an interview. It is common for job scammers to try to get this critical information when pretending to hire the victim. Don’t give such details to anyone you have not investigated first or whom you have not met.

If you have not met the employer in person, do not agree to a background check, which could put you at risk of identity theft.

Fake checks. Some scammers send checks to cover the supposed cost of doing a job, with a portion to be used as payment to the worker. This is a technique often called an “over-payment” scam.

The fake check may look real and appears to clear at first, but soon it bounces – typically after the victim has spent a lot of money to benefit the scammer.

Even cashier’s checks and money orders can be faked by scammers, so beware of checks that are sent by unfamiliar people. Job scam victims can lose thousands due to fake checks.

High pressure to act now. Reject anybody who pushes you hard to accept an unsolicited offer of work, or who pressures you to take other actions that seem unusual, for the sake of a job. High pressure is always a sign that something is wrong.
Long-distance employer. Many job scams involve opportunities that seem to come from an employer located in another country or a distant state. Watch out! Scammers use this as an excuse to hide their identities. If the employer lists only a P.O. Box and does not provide a local street address, be wary: this is also a way of hiding that the scammer may be in a remote location.

However, be aware that there are also cases where bold scammers open temporary offices and conduct in-person interviews – and then vanish, after taking your money or identity information.

Suspicious emails. All unsolicited emails bearing job offers should be viewed with suspicion. If you receive a job offer in an email that comes from a free email service, such as Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo, it is very likely to be a scam. Most real employers will use an email address related to their company’s website address. Bear in mind that it is also easy for scammers to imitate an email address from a legitimate company.
Fake websites. If the company making the job offer has a website, check to see when the website was established. You can do this by entering the website address in a “WHOIS” lookup site.

If the website was established only recently, contains many language errors, or doesn’t work properly, it could be a scam.

If contact information for a physical street address for the business is missing or does not make sense, be cautious: a cellphone number and email address are not sufficient.

Don’t click on links that someone sends you to verify a company’s identity. Instead, search the web on your own with the company name and check location addresses online to see if they match the business.

How to avoid fake recruiting scams

Recruiters should never be asking for money. Paying a referral fee is not a legitimate practice at all – the client always pays the fee.
No one is going to tell you you’re perfect for a job or put you in touch with a company without interviewing you first. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Ask the recruiter “What do they know about the client? What do they know about the opportunity? What is the time frame for hiring?” If they can’t give you clear answers, something isn’t right.
Recruiters should never ask you to sign a contract or non-disclosure agreement (NDA) before an interview. They will also never ask you for your social security number or banking account information.
Research the recruiters. Do you have connections in common on LinkedIn? Do they have a detailed professional profile other than on their own site? If you Google them, are you finding complaints on scam warning sites?

When you send money to people you do not know personally or give personal or financial information to unknown callers, you increase your chances of becoming a victim of telemarketing fraud. To protect yourself from the damage of identity theft and fraud, exercise caution using the tips below.

Government

The IRS - Tax scams persist year-round, threatening people with jail time or prosecution if they don’t pay debts to the Internal Revenue Service. Given that fake IRS phone calls continue to plague consumers, the IRS itself has repeatedly published a list of things you will not experience with a legitimate IRS representative, including phone calls demanding payment, threatening arrest and asking for specific payment methods like a prepaid debit card.

Rewards & Prizes

Lottery scan or advance fee fraud “419” frauds. Named after the relevant section of the Nigerian Criminal Code, this fraud is a popular crime with West African organized criminal networks. There are a myriad of schemes and scams – mail, email, fax and telephone promises are designed to entice victims to send money, ostensibly to bribe government officials involved in the illegal conveyance of millions outside the country. Victims are to receive a percentage for their assistance.

There are many variations of phishing and 419 schemes, but they all have the same goal: to steal the victims’ money or personal and account information.
Investment Scams - Salesperson convinces a senior that an unusual asset, like a horse farm, is worth significant investment.
Charitable donations - Unscrupulous charities take advantage of generosity and memory loss to request donations repeatedly.
Grant fraud scam - Perpetrator poses as a representative of a government agency or some other organization with an official sounding name. He or she contacts older adult notifying him or her that they’ve been selected to receive a grant and requests the older adult’s checking account number in order to deposit grant the funds into the account.
Sweepstakes - 'Contest' claims a senior won a prize and needs to send in money to collect winnings.

Money & Finance

Money transfer scams - Often part of an Advance Fraud Scheme, a perpetrator convinces an older adult to send funds via Western Union or other money transfer services, using a number of elaborate schemes.
Mystery shopper - Perpetrator enlists older adult to become a "mystery shopper" for them and sends older adult a counterfeit cashier’s check. They are instructed to cash the check, wire a portion back to the perpetrator and keep the remaining amount (appeals to those on a fixed or limited income).
Misappropriation of income or assets – A perpetrator obtains access to a vulnerable adult’s Social Security checks, pension payments, checking or savings account, credit or ATM cards, and withholds portions of checks cashed for themselves.
Charity scams – The victim is persuaded to buy a valueless or nonexistent product, donate to a bogus charity, or invest in a fictitious enterprise. Seniors are particularly vulnerable to this type of fraud because they are often at home during the work day to answer the phone. Social isolation is also a factor where fraudsters prey on lonely seniors anxious for someone to talk to. They devise schemes that require multiple phone calls and development of a trusting relationship.
A payday lender - “Congratulations, you’ve been approved for a payday loan!” This is a variation on the sweepstakes scam and the call from “your credit card company” offering you lower interest rates. A good rule of thumb: If you didn’t apply for a loan, ask for a rate adjustment or enter a sweepstakes, it’s probably a scam.
Reverse mortgage scams - Reverse mortgage scams are engineered by unscrupulous professionals in a multitude of real estate, financial services, and related companies to steal the equity from the property of unsuspecting senior citizens or to use these seniors to unwittingly aid the fraudsters in stealing equity from a flipped property.
Obituary scam - Using obituaries to target recent widows, scammers attempt to collect false debts of the deceased.
Magazine subscriptions - Company sends free magazines and convinces a senior he owes money for the subscription.

Family & Friends

Yourself - If your own phone number ever pops up on your phone screen, don’t answer. It may seem harmless in the moment, but this scam reportedly collects and classifies numbers of people who answer the phone as good numbers to target with other scams. It may be tempting to see who’s on the other end of the line — since it clearly isn’t you — but you may be signing yourself up for many more unwanted phone calls.
Identity theft – Using one or more pieces of the victim’s personal identifying information (including, but not limited to, name, address, driver’s license, date of birth, Social Security number, account information, account login credentials, or family identifiers), a perpetrator establishes or takes over a credit, deposit or other financial account in the victim’s name. Fraudsters gather victim’s information through various means; however, senior citizens are often susceptible to social engineering techniques that fraudsters use, such as “phishing” to entice victims to supply personal information such as account numbers, login IDs, passwords, and other verifiable information that can then be exploited for fraudulent purposes. Phishing is most often perpetrated through mass emails and spoofed websites, but it can also occur through old fashioned methods such as the phone, fax and mail.
Fake accident ploy - Similar to the Grandparent scam, here a perpetrator convinces an older adult that the older adult’s child has been seriously injured or is in jail and needs money for medical treatment or bail.
Fictitious relative – The perpetrator calls the victim pretending to be a relative in distress and in need of cash, and asks that money be wired or transferred either into a financial institution account.
Online Dating and Romance / Sweetheart scams – The perpetrator enters the victim’s life as a romantic interest in order to gain influence and eventual financial control. This type of scam often goes unreported due to the embarrassment and emotional impact on the victim. At times the victim knows they are being duped but they simply don’t want to be alone.

Conclusion: All of these tactics can put you at risk for identity theft, fraud or financial losses that could damage your credit or financial stability. If you receive a suspicious phone call, you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission, and as a fraud-monitoring precaution, it’s a good idea to regularly review your credit scores and reports for signs of abuse.

6 Warning signs that its a phone scam:

If you hear these--or similar--"lines" from a telephone salesperson, just say "no thank you," and hang up the phone.

"You must act 'now' or the offer won't be good."
"You've won a 'free' gift, vacation, or prize." But you have to pay for "postage and handling" or other charges.
"You must send money, give a credit card or bank account number, or have a check picked up by courier." You may hear this before you have had a chance to consider the offer carefully.
"You don't need to check out the company with anyone." The callers say you do not need to speak to anyone including your family, lawyer, accountant, local Better Business Bureau, or consumer protection agency.
"You don't need any written information about their company or their references."
"You can't afford to miss this 'high-profit, no-risk' offer."

9 Tips to Avoid Telemarketing Fraud:

Don't buy from an unfamiliar company. Legitimate businesses understand that you want more information about their company and are happy to comply. It's never rude to wait and think about an offer. Be sure to talk over big investments offered by telephone salespeople with a trusted friend, family member, or financial advisor. Always take your time making a decision. Legitimate companies won't pressure you to make a snap decision.
Always ask for and wait until you receive written material about any offer or charity. If you get brochures about costly investments, ask someone whose financial advice you trust to review them. But, unfortunately, beware -- not everything written down is true.
Do your research. Always check out unfamiliar companies with your local consumer protection agency, Better Business Bureau, state Attorney General, the National Fraud Information Center, or other watchdog groups. Unfortunately, not all bad businesses can be identified through these organizations.
Ask for information. Obtain a salesperson's name, business identity, telephone number, street address, mailing address, and business license number before you transact business. Some con artists give out false names, telephone numbers, addresses, and business license numbers. Verify the accuracy of these items.
Sending money. Before you give money to a charity or make an investment, find out what percentage of the money is paid in commissions and what percentage actually goes to the charity or investment. Never send money or give out personal information such as credit card numbers and expiration dates, bank account numbers, dates of birth, or social security numbers to unfamiliar companies or unknown persons.
You must not be asked to pay in advance for services. Pay services only after they are delivered. Some con artists will send a messenger to your home to pick up money, claiming it is part of their service to you. In reality, they are taking your money without leaving any trace of who they are or where they can be reached.
Don't pay for a "free prize." If a caller tells you the payment is for taxes, he or she is violating federal law.
Before you receive your next sales pitch, decide what your limits are -- the kinds of financial information you will and won't give out on the telephone.
Never respond to an offer you don't understand thoroughly. Before you send money, ask yourself a simple question. "What guarantee do I really have that this solicitor will use my money in the manner we agreed upon?"

Tech support fraud occurs when the subject claims to be associated with a computer software or security company, or even a cable or Internet company, offering technical support to the victim. Phony tech support companies utilize several different methods to contact or lure their victims. This list is not all inclusive, as the subjects are always varying their schemes.

Cold call
Pop-up or locked screen
Search Engine Optimization: The subject pays to have their company websites appear in the top of search results when a victim searches for technical support.
URL Hijacking / Typosquatting: The subject relies on mistakes made by the victim when entering a URL, which either causes an “error” or redirects to the subject’s website.

Once the phony tech support company or representative makes verbal contact with the victim, the subject tries to convince the victim to provide remote access to their device. Once the subject has control, additional criminal activity occurs. For example: The subject takes control of the victim’s device and/or bank account, and will not release control until the victim pays a ransom.

The subject accesses computer files containing financial accounts, passwords, or personal data (health records, social security numbers, etc.).
The subject intentionally installs viruses on the device.
The subject threatens to destroy the victim’s computer or continues to call in a harassing manner.

Scammers have been peddling bogus security software for years. They set up fake websites, offer free “security” scans, and send alarming messages to try to convince you that your computer is infected. Then, they try to sell you software to fix the problem. At best, the software is worthless or available elsewhere for free. At worst, it could be malware — software designed to give criminals access to your computer and your personal information. The latest version of the scam begins with a phone call. Scammers can get your name and other basic information from public directories. They might even guess what computer software you’re using. Once they have you on the phone, they often try to gain your trust by pretending to be associated with well-known companies or confusing you with a barrage of technical terms. They may ask you to go to your computer and perform a series of complex tasks. Sometimes, they target legitimate computer files and claim that they are viruses. Their tactics are designed to scare you into believing they can help fix your “problem.”

Once they’ve gained your trust, they may:

ask you to give them remote access to your computer and then make changes to your settings that could leave your computer vulnerable
try to enroll you in a worthless computer maintenance or warranty program
ask for credit card information so they can bill you for phony services — or services you could get elsewhere for free
trick you into installing malware that could steal sensitive data, like user names and passwords
direct you to websites and ask you to enter your credit card number and other personal information

Regardless of the tactics they use, they have one purpose: to make money. If you get a call from someone who claims to be a tech support person, hang up and call the company yourself on a phone number you know to be genuine. A caller who creates a sense of urgency or uses high-pressure tactics is probably a scam artist.

7 tips to avoid tech support scams:

Don’t give control of your computer to a third party who calls you out of the blue.
Do not rely on caller ID alone to authenticate a caller. Criminals spoof caller ID numbers. They may appear to be calling from a legitimate company or a local number, when they’re not even in the same country as you.
Online search results might not be the best way to find technical support or get a company’s contact information. Scammers sometimes place online ads to convince you to call them. They pay to boost their ranking in search results so their websites and phone numbers appear above those of legitimate companies. If you want tech support, look for a company’s contact information on their software package or on your receipt.
Never provide your credit card or financial information to someone who calls and claims to be from tech support.
If a caller pressures you to buy a computer security product or says there is a subscription fee associated with the call, hang up. If you’re concerned about your computer, call your security software company directly and ask for help.
Never give your password on the phone. No legitimate organization calls you and asks for your password.
Put your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry, and then report illegal sales calls.

If You’ve Responded to a Scam

If you think you might have downloaded malware from a scam site or allowed a cyber criminal to access your computer, don’t panic. Instead:

Get rid of malware. Update or download legitimate security software and scan your computer. Delete anything it identifies as a problem.
Change any passwords that you gave out. If you use these passwords for other accounts, change those accounts, too.
If you paid for bogus services with a credit card, call your credit card provider and ask to reverse the charges. Check your statements for any other charges you didn’t make, and ask to reverse those, too.
If you believe that someone may have accessed your personal or financial information, visit the FTC’s identity theft website. You can minimize your risk of further damage and repair any problems already in place.

How to Spot a Refund Scam

If you paid for tech support services, and you later get a call about a refund, don’t give out any personal information, like your credit card or bank account number. The call is almost certainly another trick to take your money.
The refund scam works like this:

Several months after the purchase, someone might call to ask if you were happy with the service. When you say you weren’t, the scammer offers a refund.
Or the caller may say that the company is going out of business and providing refunds for “warranties” and other services.

In either case, the scammers eventually ask for a bank or credit card account number. Or they ask you to create a Western Union account. They might even ask for remote access to your computer to help you fill out the necessary forms. But instead of putting money in your account, the scammers withdraw money from your account.
If you get a call like this, hang up.

Misinformation - False or inaccurate information that is communicated regardless of an intention to deceive.

Disinformation - Bad information that is sent out on purpose.

The amount of disinformation and misinformation that is spread on the web is staggering. It is spread mainly via Websites, Social Networks, and Email. Hot topics include: Politics, Government Policies, Religion and various Scams and Hoaxes. Research reveals false rumors really do travel faster and further than the truth. What is important to understand is that sharing disinformation and misinformation can lead to fraudulent web sites and malware.

Social networking sites provide users with the capabilities to spread information quickly to other users without confirmation of its truth. We tend to take written information as truth and assume it is accurate unless we know for certain that it is not. If we read something about a subject which we are not very knowledgeable about, we assume that the author has the credentials to be posting that information.

Tips for analyzing news sources

Avoid websites that end in "lo" ex: Newslo - These sites take pieces of accurate information and then packaging that information with other false or misleading "facts" (sometimes for the purposes of satire or comedy).
Watch out for websites that end in ".com.co" or other odd domain names - Odd domain names generally equal odd and rarely truthful news as they are often fake versions of real news sources
Watch out if known/reputable news sites are not also reporting on the story - Sometimes lack of coverage is the result of corporate media bias and other factors, but there should typically be more than one source reporting on a topic or event. It's always best to read multiple sources of information to get a variety of viewpoints.
Check the author - Lack of author attribution may, but not always, signify that the news story is suspect and requires verification. Some news organizations are also letting bloggers post under the banner of particular news brands; however, many of these posts do not go through the same editing process (ex: BuzzFeed Community Posts, Kinja blogs, Forbes blogs).
Consider the source - Check the "About Us" tab on websites or look up the website on sites like Wikipedia for more information about the source.
Web site design and sloppy writing - Bad web design, the use of ALL CAPS, or dramatic punctuation?!?!?! can also be a sign that the source you're looking at should be verified and/or read in conjunction with other sources. Most credible news sources have copy editors that will check for these mistakes before publication, and will also have rules restricting writers from using features like caps lock for the sake of professionalism.
It predicts a future disaster - A fair number of fake news stories hook readers in because they predict a future disaster.
It reveals a cure for a major illness - If you read an article where some major affliction has been cured, be skeptical.
The story is a little too funny or interesting - The more eyebrow-raising a story is, the more people seem to want to read and share it, and other news outlets to reprint it.
A poll is featured - The problem with polls is that they can be misleading depending upon how the questions are phrased or if the results are taken out of context.
Your emotions - If the story makes you really angry it's probably a good idea to keep reading about the topic via other sources to make sure the story you read wasn't purposefully trying to make you angry (with potentially misleading or false information) in order to generate shares and ad revenue.
Sharing other's private information - If the website you're reading encourages you to DOX (researching and broadcasting private or identifiable information about an individual or organization), it's unlikely to be a legitimate source of news. Doxxing is totally unethical and illegal under state criminal laws.
Check the history and reputation of the author and publication - If an article is being shared on Facebook or Twitter, you can see immediately the publication where the article originated. Browse to the publication’s site to view past articles on the same or similar topics. Red flags are raised if the articles share a certain political viewpoint, if they are riddled with typos or grammatical errors, or if they are all written by the same author.
Read beyond the headline - If a provocative headline drew your attention, read a little further before you decide to pass along the shocking information. Even in legitimate news stories, the headline doesn’t always tell the whole story.
Check the date - Some false stories aren’t completely fake, but rather distortions of real events. These mendacious claims can take a legitimate news story and twist what it says — or even claim that something that happened long ago is related to current events.

Tips for spotting fake news on social media

Keep an eye out for "sponsored content" - Sponsored content often strikes a sensationalistic tone. The next time you spot one of these, look around the area of the web page where they're placed. You should find a little graphic or snippet of text that says "Advertisement," "Paid Sponsor," or something similar. These so-called articles aren't intentionally developed to misinform you. They are likely trying to bait you into buying something. However, in some less reputable corners of the web ads like these can take you to malicious sites that install malware or expose you to other threats.
Scrutinize photos or videos that accompany the story - If you see a shocking or particularly engaging photo or video in an article, take a moment to determine whether the media pertains to the main gist of the story or is intended solely to incite an emotional reaction in readers. Use a service such as TinEye or Google Image Search to conduct a reverse image search. This search will show where else on the web the image appears, and it will indicate whether the image has been tampered with. For many video clips that go viral, there is additional video footage that either isn’t shown or hasn’t yet been published that tells a different story. Photos that support a certain stance or viewpoint are sometimes staged or digitally edited to misrepresent the true content. In both instances it can be difficult to tell real from unreal. Evaluate the trustworthiness of the immediate source of the image, the person who shared the media, and the outlet where it was originally published. A little time spent researching might show whether any of these sources has a particular agenda, or whether the person who captured or shared the photo could be spreading misinformation, intentionally or unintentionally.
Is the topic intended as a joke? - Some headlines are written as satire, however, not everyone gets the joke. Before sharing a questionable or suspicious looking news item, consider that it may be intended to be satirical or humorous.
Consider the reasons why someone is sharing news with you at this time - Digital technology has also led to a digital bubble for many people, who receive news and information only from sources that reinforce their existing biases and beliefs. Social media users with strong political leanings may not immediately recognize that their social media friends who echo those viewpoints are spreading fake news. It's possible that individuals who share your worldview might be knee-jerk sharing without properly vetting the source of the information.
Call out fake news you see in your network - but do it privately - Calling them out publicly can cause them to get defensive because it makes them look stupid or gullible for posting it in the first place.
Beat the social media algorithm - Platforms show us the information they think we want to see. "The articles that you have a reaction to - that you "like" or "heart" — are the ones [social media sites] will start drawing more sources from," Click on links for sites that have news articles to expand what you're shown rather than "like" or "heart". With every page you like or follow, and every person you friend, your social media stream fills with their posts, shares and tweets. Add and delete sources, and seek information that contradicts what you think.
Spot the bot warning signs - Does a person post about only one topic? Who else do they follow? Do they post or tweet hundreds of times a day, trying to get their message out before they get caught? Are there a lot of typos or grammatical errors? Do they post in multiple languages?

Malware from clickbait

The real trouble is that clickbait is often more than just a simple insult to our intelligence - it can lead to real trouble like malware and scams that can lead to identity theft or monetary loses. Often times clicking on a seemingly harmless article will lead you to nothing more than a useless pop-up for a fake video player or a fake survey, no article in sight. But if you click the link and download the player or fill in the survey, you'll wind up with a PC full of malware and viruses.

Malware Prevention Tips

Be cautious: Approach sharing and opening posts from friends as cautiously as you would your emails. Social media can be a wonderful tool but it can be really dangerous as well and it's beyond important to keep that in perspective. Another good piece of advice is to never trust the links, especially those click bait ones.

Be careful closing pop-ups: Closing a POP-UP by clicking the X can inadvertently share the malicious code without your knowledge. This is why most people that shared it say they never clicked on anything suspicious.

Here are some options in closing a POP-UP:

Chrome on Windows or Mac: Shift + Esc, select the tab containing the pop-up, then click "End Process".
Windows: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, select the web browser, then click "End Task."
Mac: Command + Option + Esc, select your web browser, then click "Force Quit."
Android: Press the square button at the bottom right corner of the screen, then swipe all browser windows off the screen.
iPhone: Double-press the home button (if you're using iPhone 6s, 3D Touch press the left side of the screen), then swipe all instances of the browser off the screen.

Another option: Since the popup is controlled by JavaScript, the best option is to disable the execution of any scripts (by configuration or browser add-ons). This will impact how most websites look and feel, however you can always add sites to the exception list once you know they are safe.

The dangers of misinformation

We tend to take written information as truth and assume it is accurate unless we know for certain that it is not. If we read something about a subject which we are not very knowledgeable about, we assume that the author has the credentials to be posting that information.

Misinformation regarding drugs and health remedies have proven deadly for many people around the world.
Misinformation through sharing emails or social media spam can expose you to fraudulent phishing web sites.
Misinformation regarding investment advice has lead to personal financial losses.

Here are some short definitions of terms used when discussing media manipulation

Outrage Influencer. Conspiracy theorists or ideologists that use mass media to spread false information with the intent of stirring up people’s fear, anger or hatred.
Illusory Truth Affect. The psychological theory that if a falsehood is repeated often enough, people will start to believe it.
Electoral Manipulation. Refers to fraudulent techniques used to illegally interfere with the results of a democratic election.
Computational Propaganda. Using artificial intelligence, personal online data and automated, high-speed computing to deliver fraudulent news stories to the most susceptible people in order to initiate the viral spread of propaganda.
Echo Chamber. An environment in which people are only introduced to ideas, stories or messages that confirm and reinforce their own preexisting beliefs.
Bumping Into News. Describes the way that most digital natives consume news — through incidental discovery on social media feeds, rather than intentionally.

A grandparent / trusted relative scam is a form of telephone fraud. The scammer phones a grandparent or relative and pretends to be in distress and asks that funds be wired to a specified location.

How does the scammer choose a target? No one knows for sure. Phone calls may be made at random until an elderly person answers, or scammers may be harvesting information from the Internet that enables them to choose targets. Some have suggested Facebook as a possible source of information.
Why doesn't the target realize that the caller is not a grandchild? If the target says that the caller does not sound like his or her grandchild, the scammers may blame a bad connection or a cold. Also, identifying voices over the phone is difficult for some senior citizens.
Does the scammer know the grandchild's name? It appears that sometimes the scammers have the correct names at their disposal. This is one reason some investigators think that scammers are gleaning information from the Internet. More often, however, the scammers may elicit the name of a grandchild from the target, who often does not even realize that he or she has supplied a name.
What kind of stories do the grandparent scammers use? The scammers often say that the grandchild needs money because of an accident, an injury, a theft or an arrest. Sometimes the "grandchild" pleads that other family members not be told because DUI or embarrassing circumstances are involved.
Can victims of the grandparent scam recover their money? Due to the nature of wire transfers and the fact that most cases involve U.S. citizens wiring money to other countries, recovery of funds is very difficult. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that grandparent type scam and other impostor scams cost Americans millions of dollars each year.
What amounts of money are involved? Amounts can vary widely, starting with less than $1000. Often scammers who are successful in persuading targets to wire money will immediately ask for a second transfer.
Are there other negative results from being scammed? Yes. Those who are the victims of scams may lose faith in their own judgment, a doubt that family members may share. Sometimes the result is that an elderly person is prematurely stripped of control of his or her own money. Sometimes older persons become hesitant to answer their phones.
What countries are implicated in these scams? Most cases originate in Canada, but scammers in Puerto Rico, Haiti and China are joining the action.
Why can't we catch the scammers? The nature of international wire transfers makes it difficult to catch the perpetrators. Many times they use prepaid cell phones that cannot be traced. Some scammers have been caught and charged.
Why would anyone fall for this scam? The scammers can be very persuasive. In addition, the emotional distress caused by being told that a loved one is in trouble can make one abandon rational thought.
What should be done if someone falls victim to this scam? The victim should immediately notify the wire transfer company. In addition, the following entities should be notified:
- Local police - State attorney general - The Federal Trade Commission - The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (if Canada is involved)
What is being done to stop the grandparent scam? Efforts so far have focused on educating the public, but it is a huge job to reach everyone and to keep the information fresh in people's minds. Recently some companies that handle wire transfers have begun training their employees to watch for red flags that might signal a grandparent scam, such an elderly person who appears distraught wanting to transfer fairly large sums of money.

How can one avoid being a victim?

Never wire money to an unknown person. If you receive a call about a family member in distress in a foreign country, verify the information with family members. Another method is to have a family password, such as the name of a pet, which you can use for verification of the caller's identity.
Build a wall around your computer. Use both antivirus and anti-spyware software to keep intruders from stealing personal information from your computer.
Don't open file attachments in emails from strangers. These can contain programs that enable crooks to get into your computer remotely. Be cautious on social media. Anything you reveal about your family, travels or schedule can be easily picked up by bad guys.
Ask lots of questions. If you get an impassioned call for money from a family member, take a deep breath and try not to get emotional. Instead, ask some questions that would be hard for an impostor to answer correctly. Examples are the name of the person's pet, his mother's birth date, or his boss's name.
Slow the process down. Never say yes to a money transfer based on a single call. Always hang up and do some research, such as trying to contact the person directly on her cell or work phone, or talking with someone she is close with to corroborate the situation.
Don't be embarrassed. If you fear that you have fallen prey to a scam, do not let pride get in the way of contacting authorities. And if you've wired money, immediately call the money transfer service to report the fraud. If the money hasn't been picked up yet, you can retrieve it.

Report IRS Impersonation: https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/contact_report_scam.shtml
Report to IRS: Report any incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 800-366-4484 or at http://www.tigta.gov
I.D. Theft Issues: Contact IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 800-908-4490 to secure your tax account.

IRS Impersonation Scams

How Do the Scams Work?

Con artists make unsolicited calls claiming to be IRS officials. They demand that the victim pay a bogus tax bill. They convince the victim to send cash, usually through a wire transfer or a prepaid debit card or gift card. They may also leave “urgent” callback requests through phone “robo-calls,” or send a phishing email.
Many phone scams use threats to intimidate and bully a victim into paying. They may even threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the driver’s license of their victim if they don’t get the money.
Scammers often alter caller ID numbers to make it look like the IRS or another agency is calling. The callers use IRS employee titles and fake badge numbers to appear legitimate. They may use the victim’s name, address and other personal information to make the call sound official.
Aggressive and threatening phone calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents remain a major threat to taxpayers, but variations of the IRS impersonation scam continue year-round and they tend to peak when scammers find prime opportunities to strike.

Stay alert to scams that use the IRS as a lure. Tax scams can happen any time of year, not just at tax time. For more information visit Tax Scams and Consumer Alerts, visit https://www.irs.gov/uac/tax-scams-consumer-alerts

Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. Generally, the IRS will first mail a bill to any taxpayer who owes taxes.
Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have the taxpayer arrested for not paying
Demand that taxes be paid without giving taxpayers the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed.
Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
Call you about an unexpected refund.

What you can do if you get a call from an IRS imposter:

Do not give out any information. Hang up immediately.
Contact TIGTA to report the call. Use their (https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/contact_report_scam.shtml) IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting web page. Alternatively, call 800-366-4484.

For those who owe taxes or think they do:

Call the IRS at 800-829-1040. IRS workers can help.

Identity Theft Risks

Identity theft is a crime that's anonymous in many cases, but in the case of tax identity theft, the government doesn't have in place the level of protection that many other financial institutions do to prevent fraud. At this moment, the IRS is one of the weakest links in the financial services world and as a result is highly targeted. The IRS allows filing of taxes as early as Jan. 19, and prompt thieves will file immediately with the hopes of beating more cautious individuals to their own returns.

What Rebate? Far more advanced than simply intersecting a rebate check or prepaid card, thieves are stealing year-end statements, W-2s and other income information to file returns on victims' behalf. Americans can legitimately receive their refunds in a variety of ways: direct deposit (often the fastest), loaded onto a prepaid card, or via check mailed to a location of their choosing. Thieves will often choose prepaid cards. Prepaid cards are a source of significant amounts of fraud. If you use tax filing assistant like HR Block or Turbo Tax you could get a refund on a prepaid card. They're beautiful from a tax ID theft perspective because they're just like cash.

How to Protect Yourself

Shred any paperwork not needed for tax preparation.

What to Shred. Checks from a credit card company offering low annual percentage rates for balance transfers and other pre-approved credit offers should be shredded upon receipt if you don't plan to use them. Once reconciled with corresponding accounts, ATM receipts, canceled checks, and pay stubs can all be shredded.

What to Keep. Hang on to monthly banking, brokerage account, and credit card statements. Compare the current statement to the previous statement. Verify that there were no mistakes or differences between last month's ending balance and this month's starting balance. Once you've reviewed the statements and addressed any inaccuracies, you can shred them when the year-end statement arrives. Certain papers should be kept for life, including divorce and estate documents and annual retirement plan forms. Per IRS recommendation, keep filed tax returns that don't require additional payments for three years.
Go Digital. The best way to minimize year-end paperwork is to minimize paperwork in general. Whenever possible, opt out of credit card offers, request that banks not send blank checks if you don't plan to use them, and choose to receive forms digitally. Sign up for online banking when it's available to eliminate the need for physical checks (as well as envelopes and stamps), and opt to get digital alerts when bills have arrived and payments are due.

Tax returns can also be filed digitally on secure servers, and copies of the completed forms downloaded directly to a personal computer. Users can opt to have their Social Security number partially stricken from the download for additional security. Be wary of a slow-running computer or out-of-place pop-ups when filing taxes online.
Be suspicious of any phone calls or emails claiming to be from the IRS, even with the appropriate logos. According to the IRS website: "The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels."
Don't put your return in your office mailbox or in outgoing mail bin at work. When filing taxes by paper, take them directly to the post office and put them right into a postal worker's hands. Tax returns are usually pretty obvious, and can easily be snatched.
Finally, don't get complacent. Odds are you will file your tax returns without incident this year, but tax ID theft is a growing trend. The best way to avoid being a victim this year, and in future tax seasons, is to remain vigilant.
Don’t share your secrets. Keep your Social Security number and bank account information to yourself if you're contacted online or over the phone—neither your bank nor the IRS will contact you requesting your personal information.
Beware of phishing emails. Phishing occurs when criminals use fake emails and websites of trusted organizations to coerce consumers into sharing personal information. During tax season, fraudsters pose as the IRS. Don’t be fooled—the IRS will never initiate taxpayer contact via unsolicited email to request personal or financial data.
Keep an eye out for missing mail. Fraudsters look for monthly credit card statements, W-2s, tax refunds and other mail containing your financial information. If you don’t receive your W-2s, and your employer indicates they’ve been mailed, or it looks like it has been previously opened upon delivery, contact the IRS immediately.
Protect your computer. Make sure the virus protection software on your computer is active and up-to-date, especially if you plan to file your taxes online.
Use online banking to protect yourself. Monitor your financial accounts regularly for fraudulent transactions. Sign up for text or email alerts from your bank for certain transactions, such as online purchases or transactions of more than $500.
Report any suspected fraud to your bank immediately. If the IRS denies your tax return because one has previously been filed under your name, alert the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit.

Taxpayers who suspect they've been victims of identity fraud should call the IRS Identity Theft department at 800-908-4490 with a copy of a police report, the completed IRS affidavit Form 14039 and state-issued identification. You'll find more information in the Taxpayer Guide to Identity Theft (http://www.irs.gov/uac/Taxpayer-Guide-to-Identity-Theft) on the IRS website.

If your identity has been stolen, the IRS will notify you through the mail that:

More than one tax return was filed in your name,
You have a balance due,
Your income has changed
Your benefits were reduced or cancelled.

Debt Collection Scams:

Here’s what to know if contacted about delinquent taxes by an IRS private collector:

Private collectors for the IRS cannot accept direct payments -- all payments should be made to the U.S. Treasury. The agency will not require specific types of payments such as wire transfers or prepaid debit cards. Scammers prefer these methods because they are hard to trace and can be redeemed anywhere in the world.
Unless the IRS has an incorrect address, both the agency and its private collectors should first make contact by mailed letter.
Those who owe tax debt but cannot pay in full will be offered an installment plan for up to five years.
The same rules on other collectors apply: No calls before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. You must be sent a written “validation notice” telling you how much money you owe within five days after first contact. No harassing, abusive or threatening language allowed.
Certain tax bills (and therefore phone calls) cannot be handled by private collectors for the IRS: those for taxpayers who are deceased, under age 18, in a designated combat zone, or a victim of identity theft. Debtors currently in audit, litigation or criminal investigation are also off-limits to third-party hired guns.

Don't let scammers steal your money or your personal information if you make the decision to be generous and charitable. Here are some tips to protect yourself and ensure that your money gets to the causes you wish to support.

Be smart about responding to email solicitations

If you donated to an organization online, signed an online petition, or responded to a survey -- perhaps through social media -- you also provided your email information. Doing so is implied, if not specific, permission for that organization to contact you via email again until or unless you tell them not to by opting out.
Email is a normal channel now for nonprofits to ask you for continued support. They can reach you with very timely messages and connect you with relevant information on their website. If you have any doubt it’s always best to go directly to their website - rather than clicking the links in the email.
Be a skeptic of email solicitations from charities you have not heard of before or haven’t in some way supported or contacted. Despite how official an email may seem it could be a scam. Do not follow any links within the message. If you are interested in the organization and want to learn more about them, the best starting point is to check to see if they are rated and then to contact the organization directly to learn more.

Beware of requests to send money overseas

As a rule, any organization requesting that you send funds to a foreign bank is a scam.

Delete unsolicited emails with attachments

It’s not typical for legitimate emails from organizations to include attachments. If there is something they want you to see, they are going to direct you to information or photos on their website. Do not open any attachments to these emails even if they claim to contain pictures of a recent tragedy. These attachments are probably viruses.

Be inspired by social media, but still do your homework

Social media delivers heart-wrenching images and information about charitable causes. Many of them include pleas to donate. You should take the time to investigate the groups behind such pleas for help to ensure that it comes from a legitimate nonprofit and then go to that charity's website to make your donation.

Think Before You Text

So long as you do your homework – meaning that you’ve vetted the charity and made sure that you are using the proper texting instructions - then texting can be a great way to give. Remember there may be additional costs to you to make such a gift. And it can take as much as 90 days for the charity to receive the funds.

Be skeptical of people that contact you online claiming to be a victim

Anyone alleging to be in this position is most likely part of a scam. People affected by a disaster or afflicted by a disease are in no position to contact you directly for assistance.

Avoid Telemarketers

Be wary of fundraisers who pressure you to make a contribution over the phone. Never divulge your credit card information to someone soliciting you via the phone. Instead, ask the fundraiser to send you written information about the charity they represent and do some research on your own. Once you feel comfortable with the charity, send the organization a check directly in the mail, or give through their website, thus ensuring 100% of your gift goes to the charity and not the for-profit fundraiser.

Seek out the charity’s authorized website

The results of a general web search may include a fraudulent site designed to look like a legitimate charity’s website. Criminals are likely to set up bogus sites to steal the identity and money of generous and unsuspecting individuals. So, how can you determine if a site is valid? Start by examining the web address. Most non-profit web addresses end with .org and not .com. Avoid web addresses that end in a series of numbers. Also, bogus sites often ask for detailed personal information such as your social security, date of birth, or your bank account and pin information. Be extremely skeptical of these sites as providing this information makes it easy for them to steal your identity.

Your best option is to start your web search on a charity rating web site to find the charity organization’s authorized website. Also, read the news by checking the charity's recent media coverage through Google news or another similar service. You should also check if the charity is trustworthy by contacting the Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, or GuideStar.
Check for evidence of the charity's commitment to accountability and transparency. The best charities are transparent and accountable to the public. You should be able to see evidence of this in the information they provide on their web site. Can you readily find information about the charity's staff and Board of Directors? Did the charity publish its financial information such as its most recently filed Form 990 or audit?

Find out if a charity has a donor privacy policy.

If you can’t find the privacy policy on the organization’s website, ask to see it in writing. You should have the option to request that your name and address not be shared with other organizations, if you wish. Some charities require that you “opt-out” of having your personal information shared. If that’s the case with the charity you are planning to support, then be sure to take the time to let them know that you want them to keep your contact information confidential.

Give to an established charity

Don't let an unscrupulous charity take advantage of your goodwill. Find a charity with a proven track record of success with dealing with the type of disaster and in the region in which the disaster occurred. Avoid fly-by-night charities created specifically to deal with the new crisis. Even well-meaning new organizations will not have the infrastructure and knowledge of the region to efficiently maximize your gift. If you do feel compelled to give to a new charity, be sure to get proof that the group is in fact a registered public charity with 501 (c) (3) status.

Be aware of fundraisers calling on behalf of police and firefighters

Simply having the words “police” or “firefighter” in an organization’s name doesn’t mean police or firefighters are members of the group.

Just because an organization claims it has local ties or works with local police or firefighters doesn’t mean contributions will be used locally or for public safety. The organization should be able to provide you with written information describing the programs your donation will support, and their fund-raising costs before you donate.

Most solicitations for police and fire service organizations are made by paid professional fund-raisers.
Donations to some police or firefighter groups may not be tax deductible. Many kinds of organizations are tax exempt, including fraternal organizations, labor unions, and trade associations, but donations to them may not be tax deductible.

Ask fund-raisers for identification. Many states require paid fund-raisers to identify themselves as such and to name the organization for which they’re soliciting.

Ask how your contribution will be used. Ask what percentage of your contribution will go to the fire or police organization, department, or program. Also ask if your contribution will be used locally. Get written information.

Call the organization or your local police or fire department to verify a fund-raiser’s claim to be collecting on behalf of the organization or department. If the claim cannot be verified, report the solicitation to your local law enforcement officials.

Be wary if a fund-raiser suggests you’ll receive special treatment for donating. For example, no legitimate fund-raiser would guarantee that you won’t be stopped for speeding if you have a police organization’s decal in your car window. Don’t feel intimidated about declining to give. A caller who uses intimidation tactics is likely to be a scam artist. Report the call to your local law enforcement officials.

7 Signs of a Charity Scam

Avoid any charity or fundraiser that:

Refuses to provide detailed information about its identity, mission, costs, and how the donation will be used.
Won't provide proof that a contribution is tax deductible.
Uses a name that closely resembles that of a better-known, reputable organization.
Thanks you for a pledge you don’t remember making.
Uses high-pressure tactics like trying to get you to donate immediately, without giving you time to think about it and do your research.
Asks for donations in cash or asks you to wire money.
Offers to send a courier or overnight delivery service to collect the donation immediately.
Guarantees sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a contribution. By law, you never have to give a donation to be eligible to win a sweepstakes.

15 Charity Checklist Precautions

Take the following precautions to make sure your donation benefits the people and organizations you want to help.

Ask for detailed information about the charity, including name, address, and telephone number.
Get the exact name of the organization and do some research. Searching the name of the organization online — especially with the word “complaint(s)” or “scam”— is one way to learn about its reputation.
Call the charity. Find out if the organization is aware of the solicitation and has authorized the use of its name. The organization’s development staff should be able to help you.
Find out if the charity or fundraiser must be registered in your state by contacting the National Association of State Charity Officials.
Check if the charity is trustworthy by contacting the Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, or GuideStar.
Ask if the caller is a paid fundraiser. If so, ask:

The name of the charity they represent
The percentage of your donation that will go to the charity
How much will go to the actual cause to which you’re donating
How much will go to the fundraiser
Keep a record of your donations.
Make an annual donation plan. That way, you can decide which causes to support and which reputable charities should receive your donations.
Visit this Internal Revenue Service (IRS) webpage to find out which organizations are eligible to receive tax deductible contributions.
Know the difference between “tax exempt” and “tax deductible.” Tax exempt means the organization doesn’t have to pay taxes. Tax deductible means you can deduct your contribution on your federal income tax return.
Never send cash donations. For security and tax purposes, it’s best to pay by check — made payable to the charity — or by credit card.
Never wire money to someone claiming to be a charity. Scammers often request donations to be wired because wiring money is like sending cash: once you send it, you can’t get it back.
Do not provide your credit or check card number, bank account number or any personal information until you’ve thoroughly researched the charity.
Be wary of charities that spring up too suddenly in response to current events and natural disasters. Even if they are legitimate, they probably don’t have the infrastructure to get the donations to the affected area or people.
If a donation request comes from a group claiming to help your local community (for example, local police or firefighters), ask the local agency if they have heard of the group and are getting financial support.

Deployment Deception - Posting ads on Craigslist and elsewhere, fraudsters claim to be active-duty service members about to be deployed overseas (or as a family member of a service member killed in action) who need to quickly sell a car or other big-ticket item. The price is too good to be true for good reason: There is no item, only a request for upfront payment before the item is delivered — and it won’t be.
Rental Rip-Offs - Stealing photos and descriptions of properties for sale on real estate websites (or inventing their own), swindlers advertise bogus rentals. Some use the same “being deployed” lie to get upfront security deposits and rent payments (usually requesting wire transfers or prepaid debit or gift cards) for what they claim are their personal homes; others pose as landlords or rental agents touting military discounts for returning vets or active-duty personnel searching for off-base housing. In addition to lost payments, would-be renters risk identity theft from disclosures they may provide on fake application forms. Scammers will post fake rental properties on classified websites in areas around military bases and communities targeting troops. Service members moving in to the area will be offered fake military discounts and be asked for a security deposit by wiring money to the landlord.
Phone Call Phishing - In unexpected phone calls and occasional at-home visits, older vets are the usual targets of con artists who pose as employees of the Veterans Affairs Department or other assistance agencies. Aiming to glean personal or financial information, these impostors claim a need to confirm or update records or may cite supposed policy changes for dispensing drugs or receiving benefits. As with other federal agencies, expect official VA information to be mailed, not delivered by unsolicited phone calls. Before providing any details, verify requests by calling these VA toll-free phone numbers.
Toll-Free Trickery - The latest con campaign against veterans: an impostor toll-free phone number that mimics that of the Veterans Choice Program (VCP), which allows certain vets to use approved health care providers outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) system. In this years-old ruse, scammers buy phone numbers with the identical seven digits (but a different area code) of toll-free numbers belonging to trusted entities. When callers inadvertently misdial the area code (dialing 800 instead of 866 or 877, for example), they are told they won a prize or are eligible for complimentary or low-cost products and services. But it’s a ploy by fraudsters to get personal and financial information.
Romance Scams - To steal hearts and money, fraudsters frequently pose on dating websites as military personnel deployed overseas — a fake identity so commonly used that the U.S. Army receives hundreds of complaints per month from victims. Stealing photos and identities (including those of actual service personnel), these self-described officers and soldiers initially woo newfound matches before asking for money via wire transfer under the guise of a paycheck snafu, medical emergency or plane ticket to meet their “true love.” Or they send their own check, claiming a bank account problem, with instructions to forward back a portion of it; the check is fake, and the heartbroken target is responsible for those funds.
Grandparent Scams - Military families are a popular target in this long-running scheme that preys on loving grandparents. Scammers get word of deployed soldiers from local newspaper stories and, posing as the grandchild or relative, they claim a problem while on R&R, such as arrest or hospitalization, to get quick cash from worried elders.
Phony Jobs - Targeting younger vets, swindlers pose as government contractors, sometimes on job websites. The goal is to collect personal information (including Social Security numbers for supposed background checks, and bank account numbers for never-to-come direct-deposited paychecks) under the guise of employment opportunities that don’t exist. Veterans and active duty members searching for jobs may come across employers who offer special consideration for their military service. Be wary of employers asking for personal information such as bank account numbers or that want to conduct a credit or background check. Some are scams that use your personal information to steal your identity and/or expose you to fraud.
Charity Cons - Bogus charities claiming to benefit veterans are among the most common and successful, especially when targeting patriotic older donors. To solicit funds, typically in unsolicited calls (often a local area code or prefix appears on caller ID), scammers often use soundalike names of legitimate charities or invent authentic-sounding “organizations” with heartstring-pulling pitches. Never donate over the phone unless you initiate the call after vetting charities through the Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator or GuideStar.
Social Media Scams (Card Popping) - Fake accounts are being created on social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter, where scammers often impersonate military personnel. They will then friend military troops and begin building a relationship through direct messaging. Eventually they will claim they can make you quick money by depositing money in to your account and in exchange you just send them a fee. They will ask for personal banking information such as your username, password, bank card number, and pin. Once the information is exchanged they deposit fraudulent checks and withdraw the cash, leaving you without money and possibly liable for the losses.
Military Loans - Military car and personal loans that require no credit check, have instant approval, upfront fees, or promise guarantees are highly likely to have hidden fees and terms that take advantage of service members, leaving them with crippling debt.
Veterans' Benefits Buyout Scam - Military veterans hard pressed for cash may be lured into this buyout plan offering a cash payment in exchange for their future disability pension payments and benefits. However, these payouts are only about 30 to 40 percent of what their value is and structured in ways harmful to veterans' finances.
Car Purchase Scams - Using websites that offer classified ads, scammers will create car ads targeting military members. They will pretend they are a service member who is being deployed or moving because they are being stationed somewhere else and need to get rid of their car quickly. They will ask for wire transfers or up front fees and will offer fake claims such as free shipping or discounts.
Jury Duty Scam - Military members will be targeted by callers who claim they work with the court system and tell the service member has a warrant out for their arrest due to not showing up for jury duty. Fearing they can get in trouble by their command, the caller says it can be taken care of by providing personal information such as a social security or credit card number.
Veterans Affairs Scam - Military veterans are being targeted by phone scammers who call claiming they work for Veterans Affairs and say they need to update their information with the VA. The VA never calls and asks for your private information by phone.
Military Life Insurance Scams - Hard sales tactics are used by agents who target military members. They will make false and inflated claims about life insurance policy benefits which are expensive and most likely unnecessary.

Veterans charities to watch out for:

American Disabled Veterans Foundation
Foundation for American Veterans, Inc.
Healing American Heroes, Inc.
Healing Heroes Network
Help the Vets, Inc.
Military Families of America
National Vietnam Veterans Foundation
Veterans Fighting Breast Cancer
VietNow National Headquarters, Inc.

Watch out for fraudulent and unapproved COVID-19 antibodies tests

Tips to help you protect yourself from robocall and text scams, including coronavirus scams:

Always be wary of any unsolicited offers that require you to provide your insurance or doctor’s information.
Do not respond to calls or texts from unknown numbers, or any others that appear suspicious.
Never share your personal or financial information via email, text messages, or over the phone.
Be cautious if you’re being pressured to share any information or make a payment immediately.
Scammers often spoof phone numbers to trick you into answering.
Do not click any links in a text message from an unknown sender.

Contact Tracing scams

Contact tracing is a public health technique used to identify individuals who have had close contact with someone known to have the virus. Because of the urgent need to notify those that may have been exposed, tracers will often use a variety of methods to contact the individual, including calls and text messages. Many states are using text messages for their initial contact tracing outreach. After the initial text, most legitimate contact tracing work is done over the phone. Legitimate tracers will need to confirm your name, address, and birthday. This is information that they already have – so you won’t need to provide it to them.

What scammers are doing: Scammers are impersonating contact tracers in texts and calls, claiming the contacted party has been exposed to COVID-19 and needs to act quickly. Scam text messages often include links to websites that request Social Security numbers or insurance information. Some even attempt to collect bogus payments for testing. Clicking these links can also download malware onto a mobile device, allowing scammers to access your personal data. In addition to bogus texts, identity thieves are also using robocalls and voicemail call-back tracing scams to steal a target’s money, personal details, and insurance information.

Be aware, legitimate contact tracers will not ask for:

Insurance information
Bank account information
Credit card numbers
Social Security numbers
Other types of payment info

If a caller asks for any of the above, hang up and never click on a link in a text message from an unknown sender.

Avoid other Coronavirus scams:

Watch for emails claiming to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or experts saying they have information about the virus. For the most up-to-date information about the Coronavirus, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html) and the World Health Organization (https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019). If the email is purportedly from an official organization, do your due diligence and check it by going to their official website or contact them through their official channels to verify the veracity of the email.
Hang up on robocalls. Don’t press any numbers. Scammers are using illegal robocalls to pitch everything from scam Coronavirus treatments to work-at-home schemes. The recording might say that pressing a number will let you speak to a live operator or remove you from their call list, but it might lead to more robocalls, instead.
Ignore online offers for vaccinations and home test kits. Scammers are trying to get you to buy products that aren’t proven to treat or prevent the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) — online or in stores. At this time, there also are no FDA-authorized home test kits for the Coronavirus. Visit the FDA (https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/emergency-situations-medical-devices/faqs-diagnostic-testing-sars-cov-2#offeringtests) to learn more.
Fact-check information. Scammers, and sometimes well-meaning people, share information that hasn’t been verified. Before you pass on any messages, contact trusted sources. Visit "What the U.S. Government is Doing" (https://www.usa.gov/coronavirus) for links to federal, state and local government agencies.
Know who you’re buying from. Online sellers may claim to have in-demand products, like cleaning, household, and health and medical supplies when, in fact, they don’t.
Don’t respond to texts and emails about checks from the government. The details are still being worked out. Anyone who tells you they can get you the money now is a scammer.
Don’t click on links from sources you don’t know. They could download viruses onto your computer or device and make sure the anti-malware and anti-virus software on your computer is up to date.
Do your homework when it comes to donations, whether through charities or crowdfunding sites. Don’t let anyone rush you into making a donation. If someone wants donations in cash, by gift card, or by wiring money, don't do it.
Be alert to "investment opportunities" that claim prevention, detection, or cure Coronavirus and that the stock of these companies will dramatically increase in value as a result.

Suspicious offers

Look out for suspicious offers and never order anything from an unverified vendor. If the offer or discount looks too good to be true, it usually is. Always be vigilant and find and evaluate reviews about the vendor.
Masks and other high-demand productsWatch out for scams that involve products that are in high demand, but whose availability is severely limited. A fraudulent website can be offering scarce or discounted products like face masks since face masks are scarce. By purchasing the mask, you could be falling for a phishing attack and exposing your sensitive personal and payment data to the fraudsters.
Fake testing kitsFraudsters are offering either fake or non-existent coronavirus testing kits under the guise of medical officials with the necessary certification for their products. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is cracking down heavily on these sellers and has issued warnings that it has not authorized any tests that could be purchased by people to test themselves.

Malware & viruses

The World Health Organization (WHO) or national healthcare organizations make ideal targets for fraudsters to impersonate. An example of their tactics would be to contact you via email asserting that the attachment contains pertinent information to help protect you from the disease. The attachments may contain a Trojan virus designed to steal your personal data.

Business Scams

Late payments and urgent orders

Scenerio 1: Companies are shifting to working from home while factories are either ramping up production or limiting their operations depending on the products they manufacture. Fraudsters are impersonating company representatives sending out urgent purchase orders for various materials. As some companies may be in desperate need to have at least some kind of revenue, the recipient may just click on the attached file without giving it further thought.
Scenerio 2: Fraudsters send a business a proof of payment so that their supposed order gets taken care of. The attached file may contain a Trojan injector.

Protect yourself from Medicare scams

Scammers are offering COVID-19 tests to Medicare beneficiaries in exchange for personal details, including Medicare information. However, the services are unapproved and illegitimate. Fraudsters are targeting beneficiaries in a number of ways, including telemarketing calls, social media platforms, and door-to-door visits.
These scammers use the coronavirus pandemic to benefit themselves, and beneficiaries face potential harms. The personal information collected can be used to fraudulently bill Federal health care programs and commit medical identity theft. If Medicare or Medicaid denies the claim for an unapproved test, the beneficiary could be responsible for the cost.
How to stay safe:

Beneficiaries should be cautious of unsolicited requests for their Medicare or Medicaid numbers.
Be suspicious of any unexpected calls or visitors offering COVID-19 tests or supplies. If your personal information is compromised, it may be used in other fraud schemes.
Ignore offers or advertisements for COVID-19 testing or treatments on social media sites.
A physician or other trusted healthcare provider should assess your condition and approve any requests for COVID-19 testing.
If you suspect COVID-19 fraud, contact contact the Department of Justice at https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/

eFraud Prevention™, LLC