Scammers are everywhere these days. Thanks to the internet, a scammer can be thousands of miles away and still get access to your bank details and money. If you’ve never encountered a scammer, you’re either very lucky or you don’t know the signs of a scam. This article isn’t meant to scare or make you overly suspicious about strangers calling. This will teach you how to avoid scams and what to do if you’ve been scammed. Hopefully, the latter is a scenario that never happens.
Scams are quite common in the United States. In 2023, 15 percent of adults say that scammers have victimized at least one household member. Here are some of the most common scams to watch out for and how to spot a scammer before they can do damage:
1. Contacting You Out of the Blue
One of the biggest red flags you should look out for in scams is a phone call or an email from someone out of the blue. Of course, this mainly concerns strangers you don’t know, but you should also be wary of long-lost relatives popping up. To protect yourself from scams or falling for one, do not entertain phone calls and emails from anyone claiming to be a company representative telling you to pay an amount by giving them your credit card details.
Any legitimate business collecting real fees will not contact you out of the blue. If any bills require payments, this should not come as a surprise to you.
2. Asking for Personal Information
There are so many scam artist tricks that they have millions of victims worldwide. This is especially true for email and online scams. As soon as you receive an email asking for your personal information, block the sender and delete it. Many victims fall prey to scammers by sending emails that look exactly like they came from your bank. However, as part of your bank’s security and safety protocols, they will never ask you to share any personal details online, via email, or through the phone.
Remember, if an email from your “bank” also includes a link, don’t click on it. This is one of the most common scams used to remotely access your computer. Never entertain these types of emails.
3. Too-Good-To-Be-True Deals
Aside from email scams that look very official from the start, another one of the most common scammer tactics is once-in-a-lifetime deals. Scammers, both online and in real life will sell a pipedream and get-rich-quick schemes as their bait. They will offer deals that require a “small” investment and promise unbelievable returns. It can be hard to pass on what seems like a great money-making opportunity, but you are better off rejecting the deal. There are also scams that target job seekers.
Yes, this holds with people you know in person. There are people out there looking to make a quick buck, even from friends and relatives. Spare yourself the heartbreak and disappointment by saying no to deals that are too-good-to-be-true in the first place.
4. Winning a Contest You Never Entered
Learning how to spot a scammer starts with common sense. If you receive an email, a phone call, or a notification about winning a contest you never entered, it’s a scam. It is impossible to win a raffle or contest if you never entered in the first place. Scammers will play on your excitement over winning a prize to get you to divulge sensitive information, it is one of the most powerful scammer tactics.
Instead of accepting your winnings right away, think twice. Did you enter a contest? Is this too good to be true? If you are doubting yourself, don’t accept the prize because it will come with expensive strings attached.
5. Asking for Fees to Claim a Prize
Related to the scam artist tricks mentioned above, more often than not a scammer will ask for a fee so you can claim your prize. The skilled scammer will say that these are duties and taxes needed to legally claim your winnings, but it’s just one of the most common scams. Once you have paid the fee for your prize, you will never hear from the scammer and you will never receive your prize.
Anytime you are asked to pay fees before you can claim your winnings, those are clear signs of a scam. Do not pay the fees, especially if it’s for a contest you never entered in the first place (See common scams #4).
6. Telling You to Keep Your Winnings a Secret
In case the allure of winning extra cash has hooked you, don’t let them reel you in further. Scammers will often tell their victims to keep their prize a secret. They will say that your loved ones will be jealous of your good luck, so it is best kept under wraps. Once you are told to keep your winnings or return on investments a secret, you best start questioning their motives.
No one, no legit company will tell you to keep your turn in luck a secret, but scammers will. When you are told to keep it hush-hush, cut all contact to protect yourself from scams.
7. You Feel Rushed to Act
Online scams and phone scams prey on people’s sense of urgency. One sure sign of a scam in progress is when your contact starts to rush you. They may say the deadline to claim your prize is a few minutes. Or the government will break down your doors if you fail to pay your debts. These signs of a scam can easily frazzle anyone, especially when you don’t know common scams and how they work.
Being rushed to act, share private information or pay fees is all part of scammer tactics 101. Take a step back, close the phone, or delete that email. It is a scammer waiting to take advantage of you.
8. They Ask for Gift Cards as Payment
One of the clearest signs of a scam is asking for payment in the form of gift cards. No legitimate business, no one in the government will accept gift cards as a payment method. Scammers do this to make it impossible to trace and get the stolen money back. Once they request gift cards, it’s a good way to identify a scammer. Don’t believe in these scams. The moment they mention gift cards as payment for bills and taxes, stop all contact, it is a scam.
Signs of a Scam You Shouldn’t Ignore
It can be difficult to admit when you are scammed, but it can happen to anyone. While you can backtrack and learn what to do if you’ve been scammed, the best way to fight common scams is to avoid them in the first place. Knowing the signs of a scam and the many scam artist tricks used will save you a lot of money and shame in the future. When someone is trying to get money from you, and you feel uncomfortable, you can say no.