1. Spot imposters. Scammers often pretend to be someone you trust, like a government official, a family member, a charity, or a company you do business with. Don’t send money or give out personal information in response to an unexpected request — whether it comes as a text, a phone call, or an email.
2. Do online searches. Type a company or product name into your favorite search engine with words like “review,” “complaint” or “scam.” Or search for a phrase that describes your situation, like “IRS call.” You can even search for phone numbers to see if other people have reported them as scams.
3. Don’t believe your caller ID. Technology makes it easy for scammers to fake caller ID information, so the name and number you see aren’t always real. If someone calls asking for money or personal information, hang up. If you think the caller might be telling the truth, call back to a number you know is genuine. (https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/spoofing-and-caller-id)
4. Don’t pay upfront for a promise. Someone might ask you to pay in advance for things like debt relief, credit and loan offers, mortgage assistance, or a job. They might even say you’ve won a prize, but first you have to pay taxes or fees. If you do, they will probably take the money and disappear.
5. Consider how you pay. Credit cards have significant fraud protection built in, but some payment methods don’t. Wiring money through services like Western Union or MoneyGram is risky because it’s nearly impossible to get your money back. That’s also true for reloadable cards like MoneyPak, Reloadit or Vanilla. Government offices and honest companies won’t require you to use these payment methods. Make sure you're cautious when you're using your credit card online. Only enter your credit card number on secure websites that you can be 100% sure are legitimate. To be sure a website is secure, look for https:// in the address bar and lock in the lower right corner of your internet browser.
6. Don't Show ID with Your Credit Card. Security experts say the information on your driver’s license could be enough to steal your identity, which is why the Federal Trade Commission is cracking down on retailers who ask consumers to show theirs. Both MasterCard and Visa actually prohibit merchants from requiring identification as a condition for accepting their credit cards, provided the card is signed. A study by Javelin Strategy & Research found that an increasingly common method of identity theft is account takeover fraud... instead of just using a card for unauthorized transactions, fraudsters dive deeper and hack into existing accounts, change settings and make purchases in your name on-line. In order to do this effectively, the criminal needs additional personal information beyond that contained in the credit card transaction. This additional information is exactly what you provide by showing ID when making a credit card purchase.
7. Talk to someone. Before you give up your money or personal information, talk to someone you trust. Con artists want you to make decisions in a hurry. They might even threaten you. Slow down, check out the story, do an online search, consult an expert — or just tell a friend.
8. Be extremely cautious when dealing with anyone you’ve met online. Scammers use dating websites, Craigslist, social media, and many other sites to reach potential targets. They can quickly start to feel like a friend or even a romantic partner, but that is part of the con to get you to trust them.
9. Hang up on robocalls. If you answer the phone and hear a recorded sales pitch, hang up and report it to the FTC. These calls are illegal, and often the products are bogus. Don’t press 1 to speak to a person or to be taken off the list. That could lead to more calls. (https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0025-robocalls)
10. Be skeptical about free trial offers. Some companies use free trials to sign you up for products and bill you every month until you cancel. Before you agree to a free trial, research the company and read the cancellation policy. And always review your monthly statements for charges you don’t recognize.
11. Don’t deposit a check and wire money back to the sender. By law, banks must make funds from deposited checks available within days, but uncovering a fake check can take weeks. If a check you deposit turns out to be a fake, you’re responsible for repaying the bank.
12. Guard your personal information. Fraudsters use a variety of tricks to get you to divulge account numbers and passwords. They send bogus emails designed to look like it’s from your bank and make calls pretending to be with your credit card company. There’s always a reason why they need your personal information. A common ruse is for a phone bandit to ask for your account number and PIN to solve a computer problem or to stop fraudulent transactions spotted on your account. It doesn’t matter what they say – hang up! Those who need your account numbers, PINs or passwords already have them. They’d never call you or send you an email asking for them. When in doubt, contact the company in question by phone – use a number you know to be legitimate, from your statement or the phone book – and ask what’s up. Your Social Security number is the key to your life. A thief can use it to steal your money and your identity. Social Security numbers are also used to access many financial and medical records. So guard that number and only give it out when absolutely necessary to someone you know and trust.
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