Types of Impersonation and Deception Scams

Description: Scammers pretend to be from the government, a bank, a relative in distress, or a technical support expert to gain trust and obtain personal information or money. They might call you or send messages, making their story sound urgent.
Example: A scammer might call you pretending to be from the IRS, saying you owe back taxes and need to pay immediately to avoid jail. Others may pretend to be from your bank’s fraud department, asking for your account details to fix a supposed problem.
Red Flags:
- Unsolicited calls or messages asking for personal information or money.
- Urgent requests for immediate payment.
- Requests for payment via unusual methods like gift cards.

Description: Scammers impersonate government agencies, such as the IRS, Social Security Administration, or local police, to demand payments or personal information. They often use fear tactics, like threats of arrest or fines, to scare you into complying.
Example: You receive a call claiming you have unpaid taxes and must pay immediately or face arrest. The caller might even use fake caller ID to make it look like the call is from the IRS.
Red Flags:
- Government agencies will never ask for money or personal information via phone, email, or text.
- Threats of arrest or legal action if you don’t pay immediately.
- Requests for payment via wire transfer or gift cards.

Description: Scammers impersonate well-known companies like Best Buy, Amazon, or PayPal to gain trust and steal money or personal information. They might claim there is an issue with your order or account and direct you to a fake website or ask you to provide account details.
Example: A scammer might call claiming to be from Amazon, saying there is a problem with your recent order and asking for payment to fix it. Similarly, someone pretending to be from Geek Squad might offer to fix a virus on your computer and ask for remote access.
Red Flags:
- Unsolicited calls or messages from companies asking for money or personal details.
- Requests for remote access to your computer.
- Emails or texts with links to websites asking for login or payment information.

For more information on how to stay safe from scammers, visit the FTC’s article on recognizing and avoiding phishing scams.

Financial and Transaction-Based Scams

Description: Scammers target bank accounts, credit cards, and online accounts. They use phishing or card skimming to steal your details. Phishing involves sending fake emails or texts that look real, asking for personal information. Card skimming happens when devices are added to ATMs or card readers to steal credit card information.
Example: Suppose you receive an email claiming there’s a problem with your bank account. The email asks you to click on a link and verify your details. Once you do, the scammers use this information to steal your money.
Red Flags:
- Banks will never ask for personal information via email or text.
- Emails with urgent or threatening messages.
- Unknown devices attached to ATM or card readers.

Description: Scammers offer investments that seem too good to be true. These can be in stocks, real estate, or cryptocurrencies. They promise high returns but usually need upfront payments. Later, the scammers disappear with your money.
Example: You might get a message promising big returns if you invest in Bitcoin. The scammer might show you fake success stories to gain your trust. After you invest, the scammer takes your money and is never heard from again.
Red Flags:
- Investments that promise unusually high returns with little risk.
- Unsolicited offers for high-return investments.
- Requests for payment before seeing any returns.

Description: Scammers use payment apps like Zelle or CashApp and gift cards to steal money. They often pretend to be from your bank, saying there’s a problem with your account. They ask you to use the app or buy gift cards to solve the problem.
Example: You get a call from someone saying they work at your bank. They tell you there’s an issue with your Zelle account and instruct you to send money using the app. In reality, the money goes straight to the scammers.
Red Flags:
- Unsolicited calls or messages claiming problems with payment apps.
- Requests to send money or buy gift cards to fix problems.
- Urgent instructions from unknown sources.

For more tips on protecting yourself from financial scams, visit the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Description: Scammers send emails or texts pretending to be from well-known sources, asking for personal information such as social security numbers, credit card details, or bank account information. They make their messages look real and urgent to trick you.
Example: You might get an email that looks like it’s from your bank, saying there’s a problem with your account. The email asks you to click a link and enter your personal information, but it’s a scam to steal your details.
Red Flags:
- Emails or texts asking for personal information.
- Messages with urgent or threatening language.
- Links that take you to unfamiliar websites.

Description: Scammers use AI to create sophisticated phishing emails and texts that look very real. They can also use AI to impersonate voices or images of famous people. These scams can be very convincing and hard to detect.
Example: You might get an email that looks like it’s from a celebrity or a big company, asking for personal information or telling you to install software. The email seems real but it’s a scam that installs malware on your computer.
Red Flags:
- Messages that seem too good to be true.
- Unsolicited emails or texts with links or requests for personal information.
- Requests to download or install software from unknown sources.

Description: Scammers use social media platforms for scams like online shopping scams, romance scams, and lottery scams. They create fake profiles or websites to trick people into giving money or personal information.
Example: You might see a social media post about an amazing deal on a popular product. You click the link, order the product, but it never arrives. Or, someone might pretend to be a friend or family member asking for money to help with an emergency.
Red Flags:
- Unsolicited messages or friend requests from unknown people.
- Deals that seem too good to be true.
- Requests for money or personal information via social media messages.