1. The grandparent scam
In the grandparent scam, fraudsters claim the victim's grandchild is in trouble. Imposters pretending to be the police call and say that the grandchild has been in an accident or is involved in a crime, or they pretend to be the grandchild and claim to be in trouble.
Scammers ask their targets to send large sums of money to “save” the grandchild. The scammer will use the grandchild’s real name with other identifying information that they find online.
Warning signs of grandparent scams:
You receive an unsolicited call claiming that a grandchild or loved one is in danger.
The caller asks for money as cash, gift cards, or wire transfers.
The caller won’t let you get off the phone or threatens you if you try to verify the information.
The caller uses deception, intimidation, and coercion to force you to act quickly.
2. Romance scams
Scammers create fake personas on dating apps or social media to lure their targets. Con artists will research you online and use details that you’ve shared publicly to entangle you. Once they establish a rapport, scammers begin to request money, often in the form of gift cards, travel expenses, or healthcare costs. Victims aged 50–69 made up the majority of victims, losing a total of $179.65 million in the first three quarters of 2022
Warning signs of elderly romance scams:
The “relationship” moves at a frantic pace.
They promise to meet up in person or on video chat but always come up with an excuse at the last minute to not meet.
They ask for money or financial help for family members or to pay for healthcare issues.
3. Government imposter scams
Fraudsters call people claiming to be representatives from a well-known government agency like Medicare, IRS or the Social Security Administration. They may use caller ID spoofing. Once you’re on the line, they may recite your Social Security number to sound legitimate.
Medicare scams: Scammers claiming to be Medicare representatives call their victims to “verify” their Medicare number.
IRS scams: Scammers claiming to be from the IRS say there’s an issue with a person’s return. They then collect information and file phony tax returns and commit identity theft.
Social Security scams: In this scam, the imposter claims your SSN has been suspended due to an alleged crime. To reinstate it, they will demand payment, usually in the form of gift cards.
Warning signs of government imposter scams:
You get an unsolicited call from someone claiming to be from a government agency.
The caller uses threatening language and wants you to pay them using gift cards, bitcoin or wire transfers.
The caller asks for your sensitive information, like your SSN, Medicare number, or credit card.
4. Tech support scams
The scammer masquerades as a tech support representative from a company you trust like Apple or Microsoft. They’ll claim that your computer or device is at risk of being infected by viruses and then trick you into granting them remote access, paying for software that you don’t need, or downloading software, which is actually malware used to target the victim’s banking information.
Warning signs of tech support scams:
You receive unsolicited phone calls about tech support. Companies like Apple or Microsoft will never proactively call you about these issues.
A pop-up ad on a website claims that your device has viruses or promises to “speed up” your computer.
The caller uses fear tactics to trick you into downloading software or clicking links in emails.
