Once you get familiar with common scams and how they're executed, you will start to recognize them, even if it's a brand new type that you haven't seen before. Scams don't always start with an obvious threat, and some even seem inviting at first.
A refund scam typically involves a scammer pretending to be from a legitimate company or agency, contacting you to notify you of an eligible refund for a product or service. They aim to trick you into providing personal information, bank details, or direct payments under the guise of processing this refund.
In a fake tech support scam, scammers impersonate tech support from well-known companies to trick users into believing their computer has issues. They then exploit this fear to gain access to the user's computer or personal information, often under the pretense of fixing these fictitious problems.
Phishing is a form of fraud where attackers deceive victims into disclosing sensitive information like usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, or other personal details by masquerading as trustworthy entities in digital communications.
Overpayment scams involve a scammer sending more money than needed for a transaction, then requesting the "excess" back. The twist? The initial payment was either fake or obtained fraudulently, leaving the victim out of pocket twice.
Social media scams exploit the trust and immediacy of social platforms, using fake profiles, giveaways, and personal engagement to trick users into giving away personal information, money, or clicking on malicious links.
In a grandparent scam, the scammer impersonates a grandchild or close relative in distress, calling the victim (usually an elderly person) to urgently request money to resolve a fabricated emergency situation.
Romance scams involve scammers creating fake online personas to establish romantic relationships with victims, ultimately exploiting these relationships for financial gain or personal information theft.
Investment scams lure people into fake or highly risky investment opportunities with promises of high returns, often using urgency to pressure victims into investing quickly without due diligence.
Prize and lottery scams deceive individuals by notifying them they've won a large prize or lottery, often requiring the "winner" to pay fees or provide personal information to claim their supposed winnings, which never actually exist.
Job scams involve fraudulent offers of employment where the scammer's goal is to extract money, personal information, or both from the job seeker. These scams range from fake job postings to requests for payment for supposed job requirements or to steal personal data under the guise of employment.
Sponsored search link scams involve scammers buying ad space in search engine results, appearing at the top as "sponsored" or "ad" links, to trick users into clicking through to fraudulent websites that mimic legitimate services or products, often leading to phishing, malware infection, or financial scams.
Task app scams are a type of fraud where scammers promise quick earnings for completing simple online tasks, but they ultimately lead to financial loss for the victim through manipulative tactics and fake payment systems.
Misdial scams, also referred to as fat-finger dialing scams, exploit human error where individuals misdial customer service or support numbers by one or two digits (for example, dialing 1-800 instead of 1-888 for toll free numbers), inadvertently connecting with a scammer who then impersonates the legitimate service to extract personal information or money from the caller.