FTC
Scammers tell all kinds of stories to try to get your money or information. They might call, pretend to be from a government agency, and say you owe a fine. Or they may pose as a friend or love interest online who supposedly needs money for an emergency. A scammer might offer you a (fake) job, but say you need to pay a fee before you get hired. Or they might tell a different lie.
Though the details might change, scams usually have some things in common. And knowing what they are can help you recognize — and then avoid — scams that come your way.
Scammers contact you unexpectedly. Don’t respond to unexpected calls, emails, texts, or social media messages that ask for money or personal information. If you’re not sure if a call or message is real, reach out to the business, organization, or person — even if they’re claiming to be a friend or relative — using contact information you looked up yourself and know to be true.
Scammers tell you to hurry. They don’t want you to have time to think or to check out their story. So slow down. Talk to someone you trust.. Scammers tell you to pay — and HOW to pay. Don’t pay anyone who contacts you out of the blue and insists you can only pay with cash, a gift card, a wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or a payment app. Scammers want you to pay these ways because once you do, it’s hard to track and hard to get your money back.
If you’ve lost money to a scam, reach out to the company you used to send the money right away and see if there’s a way to get it back. Then report the scammer at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Find more information about protecting your money and personal information from scammers at consumer.gov.