How to Identify Common Frauds and Scams

• Scammers usually contact victims via text message, email, or messaging app claiming to be a Law Enforcement or Government official.  The victim is advised they are connected to some sort of crime (usually money laundering or drug trafficking) which can only be fixed by making a payment of some sort.
  • UNLESS YOU HAVE ALREADY CONTACTED LAW ENFORCEMENT ABOUT SOMETHING, LAW ENFORCEMENT WILL MOST LIKELY CONTACT YOU IN PERSON.

     

• The scammer impersonating Law Enforcement or Government officials exploits a person’s sense of TRUST, URGENCY, and/or FEAR which can lead people to make IMPULSIVE decisions without thoroughly verifying information, commonly by threatening the victim with negative consequences, such as arrest and prosecution.
  • LAW ENFORCEMENT WILL NOT CALL YOU BEFORE ARRESTING YOU!

 

• Scammers will send copies of counterfeit letterhead and/or credentials to victims via text and/or email.  Scammers often use names of real Law Enforcement officers or Government officials.
  • LAW ENFORCEMENT WILL NEVER SEND THEIR CREDENTIALS VIA TEXT OR EMAIL.

 

• Scammers will “spoof” phone numbers to look as though they are from a genuine Law Enforcement agency or Government official (Often, area code 202 is used as scammers claim to be federal agents calling from Washington D.C.).
  • IF YOU WERE TRULY BEING INVESTIGATED FOR SOMETHING, IT WOULD BE SOMEONE LOCAL CONDUCTING THE INVESTIGATION.

 

• Different stories are used in these scams to include claiming the victim missed jury duty and has a warrant for their arrest, to more advanced stories claiming the victim’s social security number has been compromised.
  • ANYTHING FROM THE COURTS OR THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION WILL BE SENT VIA U.S. MAIL.

 

• The victim is usually told to pay the fines via unusual payment methods: Purchasing gift cards, wire transfers, depositing money into a cryptocurrency ATM, and/or providing cash, gold, or other precious metal to a courier.
  • NO LEGITIMATE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR BUSINESS WILL REQUIRE OR ACCEPT PAYMENT IN THESE WAYS.

 

• Scammers will often use poor grammar and have emails and text messages with spelling and grammatical errors.  Scammers will also commonly use suspicious email addresses. 
  • YOU NEED A MINIMUM OF A BACHELOR’S DEGREE TO BECOME A FEDERAL AGENT AND AN ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE TO JOIN LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.

 

• Requests for personal information: Scammers may ask for your date of birth, bank account number, credit card, and/or Social Security number.  They may also ask for your password or PIN.
  • NO LEGITIMATE BUSINESS WILL EVER ASK YOU FOR YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION OVER THE PHONE AND/OR OUT OF THE BLUE…

 

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND!

• Scammers usually target the elderly and/or vulnerable community.

• Offers which sound too good to be true: Scammers may offer something which sounds too good to be true, such as winning a prize, without you ever having entered a contest or which you did not apply.

• Requests for payment in advance: Scammers may ask you to pay for something before you receive it, such as a prize or service.

• Requests to login to your computer: Scammers may claim you have a virus on your computer and ask you to login.  They will try to have you download software giving them access to your computer so they can "get rid of the virus for you."

• Emails with suspicious links: Hover over links in emails to check the actual URL.

• The email listed as the sender is not from a real domain (Ex. Google.com): You can see the embedded email address by hovering your cursor over the “From” line in the email.

• Texts or emails about fraudulent charges on your store account: Scammers often text or email you information about fraudulent charges on one of your store accounts and provide you with a phone number to call to dispute the charges.  If the unknown email or text provides you with a phone number to call, do NOT call that number!!!  Instead, contact your bank or the company directly to make sure you do not have any unusual or unauthorized charges.