Discover ways to spot everyday scams

Learn more about these common scams targeted at everyday people

Romance Scam

A romance scam is a type of fraud that involves pretending to be in love with someone online and then asking them for money or personal information. Romance scammers create fake profiles on dating sites, apps, or social media platforms and contact potential victims. They may use photos and stories of real people or celebrities to make their profiles look more attractive and believable. They may also claim to be from another country or have a reason why they cannot meet in person.

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Telemarketing Scam

A telemarketing scam is a type of fraud that involves using the phone to sell fake or worthless products or services to unsuspecting consumers. Telemarketing scammers may call you randomly or use a list of potential targets obtained from other sources. They may claim to offer you a great deal, a free gift, a prize, a donation, an investment opportunity, or a government benefit. They may also pretend to be from a legitimate company, organization, or agency that you trust.

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Medicad Scam

A Medicaid scam is a type of fraud that involves using Medicaid, a health insurance program for low-income people, to obtain money or services that are not eligible or necessary. Medicaid scammers may be individuals who lie about their income, assets, or health condition to qualify for Medicaid or receive more benefits than they are entitled to. They may also be providers who bill Medicaid for services that were not provided, not medically necessary, or of poor quality.

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Family Emergency Scam

A family emergency scam is a type of fraud that involves pretending to be a family member or friend in need of urgent financial help. The scammer contacts you by phone, email, or social media and tells you that your relative or friend is in some kind of trouble and needs money right away. The scammer may claim that they have been arrested, injured, kidnapped, stranded, or involved in an accident.

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Phishing Scam

A phishing scam is a type of fraud that involves sending fake emails or text messages that look like they are from a legitimate company, organization, or agency. The goal of phishing is to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment that may contain malware or lead you to a fake website. There, the scammer may ask you to enter your personal or financial information, such as your password, bank account number, credit card number, or social security number. The scammer may then use your information to access your online accounts, steal your identity, or commit other crimes.

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Charity Scam

A charity scam is a type of fraud that involves pretending to be a legitimate charity or a person in need and asking for donations that are not used for the intended purpose. Charity scammers may contact you by phone, mail, email, social media, or in person and appeal to your emotions or sense of duty. They may use fake names, logos, websites, or stories to make their requests seem credible. They may also take advantage of current events or disasters to solicit donations.

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Advance Fee Scam

Advance fee scam is a type of fraud where someone offers you something valuable, such as a loan, a prize, a job or an investment, in exchange for an upfront payment. The scammer claims that the payment is for processing, insurance, taxes or other fees. However, after you pay, you never receive what you were promised and you lose your money.

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Tech Support Scam

Tech support scam is a type of fraud in which a scammer claims to offer a legitimate technical support service. Victims contact scammers in a variety of ways, often through fake pop-ups resembling error messages or via fake "help lines". Payment is made to the scammer through ways which are hard to trace and have fewer consumer protections in place.

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Bogus Debt Scam

Bogus debt scam is a type of fraud where someone pretends to be a debt collector and tries to get you to pay a debt that you don’t owe or that doesn’t exist. They may use threats, pressure, lies or fake information to trick you into giving them money or personal information.

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Robocall Scam

Robocall scam is a type of fraud where someone uses a recorded message to try to sell you something, get your personal information or trick you into paying money. Robocall scams are illegal unless you have given written permission to the caller to contact you that way. Robocall scams can use caller ID spoofing technology to make it look like the call is coming from a legitimate or local number

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Ecommerce Scam

An ecommerce scam is a type of fraud that involves using an ecommerce platform to sell fake or worthless products or services, or to obtain money or information from customers or merchants. Ecommerce scammers may create fake websites, listings, ads, reviews, or accounts to deceive online shoppers or sellers. They may also use stolen or fake credit cards, identities, or payment methods to make purchases or receive payments.

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Pet Insurance Scam

A pet shipping insurance scam is a type of fraud that involves selling fake or unnecessary pet insurance to unsuspecting pet buyers who are trying to ship their pets from one place to another. Pet shipping insurance is supposed to cover some or all of the costs of transporting your pet by air or ground in case of delays, accidents, or injuries. However, some scammers may offer pet shipping insurance that has very high premiums, deductibles, or exclusions, or that does not pay out claims at all.

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