SCARS|RSN™ Anti-Scam FAQ: IRS (U.S. Tax) Scam Whether you have received your tax refund check by now, are waiting on an extension from the Internal Revenue Service or are just starting to prepare your taxes, be on alert for scammers. The IRS, state tax agencies and the nation's tax industry are warning taxpayers to be on the lookout for scams as "a surge of new, sophisticated email phishing scams" are being reported. [...]
SCARS|RSN™ Anti-Scam FAQ: Instagram Fake Ads It can be difficult to tell what's real or not on social media these days—including advertisements. Scammers often post fake ads to get you to buy one product only to send you a cheap knockoff. Instagram has offered some tips if you think you have come across a suspicious ad: You can learn more about an account if you go to their profile, tap the menu and [...]
SCARS|RSN™ Anti-Scam FAQ: Home Improvement Scams Another common seasonal scam centers around home improvement. As the weather gets nicer, homeowners often look to improve their homes. The Better Business Bureau says in 2017, there were nearly 350 home improvement scams reported to BBB Scam Tracker across the U.S., resulting in more than $600,000 lost. Some scammers go door-to-door, offering to do improvement projects. They may take a deposit, and then never complete [...]
SCARS|RSN™ Anti-Scam FAQ: Grandparent Scam This scam has been around and has seen an increase in activity of late. Depending on who answers the phone call, the person on the other line will say, "Hi, Grandpa" or "Hi, Grandma" pretending to be the grandson or granddaughter of the older victim. The scammer then tells them a story that ends with, "I need money right away to… (insert issue here—pay my traffic ticket, post bail, [...]
SCARS|RSN™ Anti-Scam FAQ: Gift Card Scams The BBB is warning people about emails offering help to check their gift card balances. If you receive one of these emails, do not click open or click links within. Scammers use these emails websites in order to get your card number and PIN in order to drain your account. The BBB offers the following tips to avoid gift card balance scams: Go to the retailer's website: [...]
SCARS|RSN™ Anti-Scam FAQ: Fortnite Scam Fortnite: Battle Royale has more than 125 million players worldwide, and that tremendous pull extends to hackers and scammers too. Players and parents should pay attention as Fortnite creator Epic Games is warning gamers about the most common Fornite scam involving "free V-bucks." Scammers offer free or discounted v-bucks, the in-game currency, to help players elevate their game. What can result in identity theft, downloading malware on a device [...]
SCARS|RSN™ Anti-Scam FAQ: Airbnb Scam This scam takes advantage of travelers renting an apartment or house through Airbnb by featuring fake homes on the site and directing the renter to a fraudulent or "spoof" website to finalize payment. Scammers will often even trick real owners, who don't know their property is being spoofed. Potential travelers end up paying money for a rental property that either doesn't exist or isn't available.
SCARS|RSN™ Anti-Scam FAQ: Amazon Fake Order Cancellation Emails If you get an email about an order cancellation from Amazon.com, there's a good chance it's a scam. Click on links in the email and you could unintentionally download malware onto your device. Or you might be sent to a site that aims to collect your Amazon account information, like your username and password. If you receive such an email and recently placed an order, go to Amazon.com [...]
SCARS|RSN™ Anti-Scam FAQ: Apple Care Scam This new smartphone scam uses phishing emails to send Apple users to a fake Apple website. iPhone users receive a pop-up image of a system dialog box that tells users their phone has been "locked for illegal activity." When users click on the link, scammers enroll them into a fraudulent "mobile device management service" that allows scammers to send malware apps to iPhones. Read more here about phishing scams and how to spot them.