Never move your money to “protect it.” That’s a scam (2024)

FAQs

What not to say to scammer? ›

They'll continue pestering you in hopes that one day you'll fall for their hoax. Never give out personal information. Refrain from sharing any data. Even telling a scammer where you live or disclosing your email address can help them find other pieces of your identity on social media or from lists on the Dark Web.

If you receive money from a form of payment that was stolen by a scammer, that money could be removed from your account. Do not send the money back. If you send your own money back, the stolen funds you received can also be removed from your account.

In the most basic form, an overpayment scam consists of a scammer claiming, falsely, to have sent a victim an excess amount of money. The scammer then attempts to convince the victim to return the difference between the sent amount and the intended amount.

The best way to deal with a scammer is to completely ignore them. Scammers want things from others, and they want to steal things, often abstract things like attention. If you ignore them, they don't get what they want, and they will continue to feel bad. There's no need to try to make them feel bad.

If you paid by bank transfer or Direct Debit

Contact your bank immediately to let them know what's happened and ask if you can get a refund. Most banks should reimburse you if you've transferred money to someone because of a scam.

With the right approach, determination, and tools, tracing the scammer's digital footprint becomes feasible. Key strategies include: Reporting the scam to authorities for a professional investigation. Utilizing social media and search engines to gather clues.

Never automatically click a link or attachment you receive via email or text. Scammers try to catch you off guard and send you to scam websites designed to steal your information and money. Always make sure that the sender is who they say they are and that you know what you are opening.

On Cash App, anyone can send a payment to anyone else, or request payment from anyone else. That open contact allows fraudsters to pull various scams. If a random person sends you money on Cash App or requests money, it's likely a scam.

Less-Educated and Lower-Income Adults Fall Prey Most

Adults with no college education are about twice as likely as college graduates to say they have personally been victimized by a scam in the past year (11% vs. 5%, respectively).

Where should I go if I get scammed? ›

Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.

Be cautious of any caller who threatens you with arrest, deportation or legal action, becomes hostile or uses profanity. Scammers do this in hopes that the interaction will cloud your judgment and you'll be prompted to respond or act quickly. money you've won.

You'll be targeted by even more scam calls

As a result, scammers may target you with more calls in an effort to defraud you.

Simply replying to spam emails mostly just confirms that your email is active, making you a target for future campaigns or scams. There usually isn't a direct response from scammers. In some cases, the spam links to a very convincing-looking copycat website.

Avoid Falling Victim To Spam Calls

Although cybercriminals cannot steal your information just by you answering a spam call, you should still avoid answering them to prevent them from targeting you more and falling for their scams.