Internet, Phone, and Mail Scams

Common Scams

• Product advertising — Email spam to get you to buy a product.
  • Never buy anything advertised in spam.
• Phishing or brand spoofing — Identity thieves using official-looking emails that seem to be from legitimate sources to try to trick you into giving them your personal information.
  • Examples of phishing email messages:
    • "We suspect an unauthorized transaction on your account. To ensure that your account is not compromised, please click the link below and confirm your identity.""
    • "Please click here to update and verify your information.”
    • "Our records indicate that your account was overcharged. You must call us within 7 days to receive your refund.”
    • Emails pretending to be from organizations such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). For more information on IRS scams, see https://www.irs.gov/uac/tax-scams-consumer-alerts.
    • Emails pretending to be from your bank or other legitimate businesses. Scammers use emails, logos, hyperlinks, and URLs that make them look like well-known companies.
    • Emails that seem to be from your email service saying that your email box is full so that emails are not getting through unless you log on through a specified link. They are really trying to get access to your email account.
  • Be wary of generic greetings in an email like "Dear Customer."
  • Be wary of emails that contain a false sense of urgency. Many spoof emails try to trick you into acting quickly.
  • Do not click on links or open attachments contained in suspicious emails.
  • Do not send personal information (such as credit card numbers, Social Security Number, or passwords) by email.
  • Do not call any phone numbers listed in the email.
  • If you are unsure if an email is a scam, look up the website or phone number for the company or organization that contacted you. Do not use the phone number or website listed in the email. Ask them if the email is really from them.
• For more information regarding email scams, see https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/scam-alerts.

Additional Educational Resources

• Federal Trade Commission: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0038-spam.
• Privacy Rights Clearinghouse: https://www.privacyrights.org/consumer-guides/anti-spam-resources.

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Common Scams

• Prize offers—Texts saying you won a gift card or other free prize.
  • Do not click on links in the text. Do not give your information. You may end up paying fees or get even more spam.
  • Common signs of prize scams are listed at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0199-prize-scams. If you are unsure, you can look up the website and/or contact information for the company or organization that contacted you. Ask them if the mail is really from them.
• Product advertising—Texts to get you to buy something, like cheap mortgages, credit cards, or debt relief services.
  • Never buy anything advertised in spam. Do not click on links in the text.

Additional Educational Resources

• Federal Trade Communication: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0350-text-message-spam.

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Common Telemarketing Scams

• Call from a number similar to yours—You are getting calls from a number with the same area code and maybe even the same first few digits as your own number.
  • Do not answer the phone. Do not give out your information.
• Credit cards and loans—Offers for loans, payday loans, credit card protection, and to lower your credit card interest rates.
  • Do not send your money or give out your information.
• Charitable causes—Urgent requests for charitable gifts, especially after a recent natural disaster.
  • Do not send your money or give out your information. If you want to donate, you can directly contact the charity.
• For descriptions of more phone scams, see the FTC’s Phone Scams page, the FTC’s Phone Fraud Scam Alerts, and the United States federal government’s list of common telephone scams and frauds.

Additional Educational Resources

• Privacy Rights Clearinghouse shows what to do when receiving different types of unwanted phone calls.

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Common Scams

• Prize offers—Mail saying you won a gift, service, sweepstakes, lottery, or other prize.
  • Do not respond. Common signs of prize scams are listed here: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0199-prize-scams. If you are unsure, you can look up the website and/or contact information for the company or organization that contacted you. Ask them if the mail is really from them.

Additional Educational Resources

• Privacy Rights Clearinghouse: https://www.privacyrights.org/consumer-guides/opt-out-resources-unwanted-junk-mail. Provides a detailed list of more ways to opt out.

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Common Scams

• Fax back scams—Faxes such as contests, job offers, deals, etc. to try to get you to fax something back.
  • Do not fax back anything in return. You may be charged a high fee for doing so.
• Phony business opportunities or requests for you to send money—Faxes that claim they want to send or get your money for various reasons such as a product or investment opportunity.
  • Do not send your money or give out your information.

Additional Educational Resources

• Federal Communications Commission’s information sheet at https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/stop-unwanted-calls-texts-and-faxes.

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