Phone and Internet Scams to Watch Out For

Scammers have been using the phone and internet to scam people for a long time. While some scams are deliberate and well-known, they're in a state of constant change. To stay safe from the potential of getting scammed as you go about your daily life, read on to see some of the scams you need to watch out for.

Phishing Scams

The first and most common scam you may encounter is a phishing scam, which involves tricking people to get their personal information. It's important to be careful about these scams because when a scammer gets a hold of your personal information, there are many things that they can do with it. From trying to access your money to selling your information online, you may fall victim to endless issues when someone has access to your personal details. This is one of the internet crimes in existence that involves using the internet to communicate fraudulent or false representations to members of the public.

Utility Bill Scams

Another type of scam you may encounter is a utility bill scam, which has a scammer calling and pretending to be from your local utility company. They proceed to tell you that you are behind on your bills, and if you don't make a payment immediately, you may have your service cut off or even be prosecuted. If they ask for your credit card information over the phone, it should be clear that they're scammers. This is because utility companies notify you of overdue bills via mail. In case you receive a call like this, call your utility company using the number on your bills to verify if there's any truth to it.

Imposter Scams

With about 1.8 billion websites operating at the same time around the world every single day, there are going to be many instances of scamming for sure. Another common scam is the imposter scam. It involves a scammer contacting their mark and pretending to be someone else. They then try to win your trust so you can send them money to help them meet a certain need which they often say is urgent. For instance, they may get you into a long-distance romantic involvement and then try getting you to send them money so they can travel to meet you. If anyone tries to get you to send them money and you cannot verify their identity, it's best not to fall into the trap. Even if you do feel compelled to send the money, never use a method that will make it hard to track the money and maybe even retrieve it if necessary.

Lottery Scams

The final scam you may encounter is a lottery scam, which preys on people's excitement when they win the lottery. The mark will usually receive a call telling them that they've won the lottery, but they need to pay a certain fee in order to process the winnings. They may also tell you that there are taxes that you need to pay for upfront, but this is a scam that you should not fall for. Around 15% of adults aged 18 years and older have some form of trouble with their hearing, and they may therefore have a hard time hearing clearly the details of this scam. You should avoid falling victim to it by first understanding that no sweepstake or lottery will ever ask you to send money for any reason. If there are fees associated with the win, they will be extracted from the amount before it's sent to you.

It's clear that there are many scams in existence, and with the prevalence of people working from home, even more scams will come up. Stay safe from them by always verifying everything possible before you send any money to anyone.