Scam Types

Anti-Scam FAQ: What Is An Antivirus Scam? Answer: People are cold called and told they have a problem with their computer which, for a fee, can be fixed. Alternatively, the victim might initiate the contact in response to an online advert or prompt claiming that their device has been infected with a virus. Other computer scam methods involve offering bogus virus protection or warranties

Anti-Scam FAQ: What Is A One Ring/Wangiri Scam? Answer: When your phone rings only once, late at night, you may be tempted to call back. But the call may be from a foreign country with an area code that looks deceptively like it's in the U.S. If you dial back, international calling fees may wind up on your bill. Such cons are also known by the Japanese term "Wangiri."

Anti-Scam FAQ: What Is A Nanny/Care Giver Scam? Answer: Sometimes scammers post fake job listings for nannies or caregivers. They offer a job but ask you to buy supplies or other equipment upfront. They may send you a post-dated check and ask you to purchase gift cards or transfer money to a vendor. The check inevitably bounces.

Anti-Scam FAQ: What Is A Mexican Collect Call Scam? Answer: Operators say you have a collect call from a family member in Mexico, sometimes even providing the family member's name. You accept the call, but it's from a stranger who offers no information about family members. You end up being billed regardless.

Anti-Scam FAQ: What Is A Rental Car Scam? Answer: Scammers are posing as rental car companies, setting up their own websites, and advertising fake customer service phone numbers, all to convince travelers they’re legit. Then, they’re asking people to pre-pay for the rental — with a gift card or prepaid debit card. To avoid rental car scammers driving off with your money: Research the rental car company by searching for the name of the company [...]

Anti-Scam FAQ: What Is A Lottery and Sweepstakes Scam? Answer: Prize scammers try to get your money or personal information through fake lotteries, sweepstakes, or other contests. Many claim that you’ve won a prize but must pay a fee to collect it. Others require you to provide personal information to enter a “contest.” These scams may reach you by postal mail, email, phone call, robocall, or text message.

Anti-Scam FAQ: What Is A Census-Related Fraud/Scam Answer: Census scams happen when someone pretends to work for the Census Bureau to steal your personal information. Use this information to learn how these scams work, and protect yourself against them. Some scam artists may pretend to be work for the Census Bureau. They'll try to collect your personal information to use for fraud or to steal your identity. These scam artists may send you letters [...]

Anti-Scam FAQ: What Is A Telephone Scam? Answer: Telephone scammers try to steal your money or personal information. Scams may come through phone calls from real people, robocalls, or text messages. Callers often make false promises, such as opportunities to buy products, invest your money, or receive free product trials. They may also offer you money through free grants and lotteries. Some scammers may call with threats of jail or lawsuits if you don’t [...]

Anti-Scam FAQ: What Is A Remote Access Scammer Answer: A remote Access Scammer is someone who connects with victims remotely for the purpose of remotely accessing their devices. Remote access scammers contact people either over the phone or online to gain access to their computers so they can potentially steal money. Some things to look out for are: Calls from people stating they’re from a well-known business Someone saying there’s something wrong with your [...]

Anti-Scam FAQ: What Is Friendly Fraud Answer: Friendly fraud occurs when a customer makes a purchase with the intent of disputing that purchase for financial gain. Friendly fraud is very challenging to detect, but there are methodologies and processes that can help you understand your disputes and proactively mitigate a portion of friendly fraud.

Anti-Scam FAQ: What Is A Debt Collection Scam Answer: Most debt collectors will contact you to collect on legitimate debts you owe. But there are scammers who pose as debt collectors to get you to pay for debts you don't owe or that have already been paid. Do not give any personal financial information until you can verify the debt. You can use this sample letter  to request more information. Learn more [...]

Anti-Scam FAQ: What Is An Authorized Push Payment Fraud Answer: Authorized push payment fraud (APP fraud) is a form of fraud in which victims are manipulated into making real-time payments to fraudsters, typically by social engineering attacks involving impersonation. As of 2019 in the United Kingdom, because the victims of these frauds authorized the payments, albeit mistakenly, they are typically not fully reimbursed by their banks. Learn more here. [...]

Anti-Scam FAQ: What Is Voice Phishing Answer: Another Way To Get Your Information Voice phishing, or vishing, is the use of telephony (often Voice over IP telephony) to conduct phishing attacks. Landline telephone services have traditionally been trustworthy; terminated in physical locations known to the telephone company, and associated with a bill-payer. Now however, vishing fraudsters often use modern Voice over IP (VoIP) features such as caller ID spoofing and automated systems (IVR) to [...]

Anti-Scam FAQ: What Is A Phishing Scam? Answer: “Phishing” is a type of identity theft where criminals use email, websites, web forms, and even fake advertisements to try to bait you into giving your information away. You are asked to disclose confidential financial and personal information, like passwords, credit card numbers, Access Codes, or your National Identification card number. The most familiar type of phishing scam is an email threatening [...]

Anti-Scam FAQ: What Is "Your Order Has Arrived"/Shipping Status Scam Answer: You may have received an email that says your "order" from Amazon or other ecommerce retailer has arrived or has been shipped. It likely asks you to click on a link. These emails can be a phishing scam attempting to get personal information from you by asking you to confirm your bank information or other information only known to [...]