Three Ways Scammers Try To Steal Your Money

Published: December 12, 2024

Scammers aren't just after your data. They want your hard-earned cash, too. Here are some common scams to watch out for.

Fake Fraud Alerts

Scammers pretend to be your bank and companies you might know and send messages about a supposedly suspicious transaction. If you reply, they call you and tell an elaborate story about fraud using your identity. They promise to help but instead drain your account.

What to do: Don't click on a link in an unexpected message. If you think the message might be legitimate, contact the company through their official app, website, chat, or customer service phone number. Don't call back the number that called you or a number someone left in a voicemail or text message.

Fake Investment Opportunities

Scammers reach out to people through social media with "special" opportunities to invest in cryptocurrency. They guarantee big returns with little or no risk. If you take the bait, they direct you to a spoofed site where you think you're investing. But you're not. It's a fake site. After they've gotten as much as they think they can get from you, they shut down the bogus website and disappear with your money.

What to do: Don't believe anyone who guarantees you can earn a lot of money on an investment with little or no risk. All investments have risks so research the opportunity before you invest.

Fake Invoices

Scammers send you a bogus email about renewing a subscription or membership you never signed up for. For example, they might pretend to be from Geek Squad, Best Buy's tech support service. The email says they'll charge you hundreds of dollars to renew your membership unless you call to cancel within 24 hours. If you call (which you should not do) the scammers ask for remote access to your computer, install spyware, and drain money from your bank account.

What to do: If you think the message might be legitimate, contact the company through their official app, website, chat, or customer service phone number.

If you see a scam like these, or any other scam, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.