Tech Support Scam

Scammers impersonate tech support from a well-known company and manufacture urgency, insisting your computer has a serious problem they can fix if you’ll just grant them remote access. Once you do, they help themselves to your personal and financial information.

• No one can diagnose a computer problem from afar and even an alarming pop-up on your own screen isn’t a real diagnosis.
• Turn down the offer. If you’re genuinely worried, bring your computer to a trusted, in-person IT professional.
• Never hand over remote access to your devices unless you’re certain who’s on the other end and why.
   

Unsolicited Calls

A scammer poses as a business or your bank and invents an urgent problem to pry loose your information. Keep in mind that faking a legitimate-looking caller ID is easy to do.

• If you don’t recognize the number, let it go to voicemail and review the message before deciding anything.
• If you do answer, share nothing. Hang up and reach out to the company or the bank directly to confirm whether there’s a real issue.

Loved-One-in-Trouble Fraud

“Your grandchild’s been arrested.” “Your spouse is in the hospital.” “Your friend was caught shoplifting.” Whatever the supposed emergency, the scammer insists that handing over your credit card details will make it go away.

• Hang up right away.
• If fear makes that hard, ask for the name of the jail, hospital, or store, hang up, and verify it yourself.
• Call your grandchild, spouse, or friend directly to check that they’re okay.

Fake Package Delivery Scam

This one usually arrives as a text impersonating UPS or Amazon, claiming a package can’t be delivered until you supply more information.
 

• Don’t tap links in these texts.
• Never share personal or financial information with a source you can’t verify.

Charity Scam

Scammers dress up as real charities and lean on your generosity to funnel donations toward a fake cause.

• Hang up or simply ignore the text.
• If the cause interests you, research the charity independently and if it’s genuine, donate directly through its official website.