Tag: Phishing Scams

If you run a small business, you know how important it is to pay your bills. Scammers know this too and send fake invoices to businesses for products or services they never ordered in the hopes they’ll pay up.

You might have heard from the news or your school that online learning platform Canvas’ parent company Instructure was hacked, potentially putting students’ personal information at risk.

Did you get a text with a picture of what looks like an official notice of a traffic hearing? You’re not alone. The FTC has seen a spike in reports about this text scam in the last month. It’s just the latest story of how scammers are trying to separate people from their money. Here’s how this scam works — and how to avoid it.

If you’re signed up for a rewards program, you may have gotten texts warning that your points are expiring soon. A message like that may catch your attention, but people are reporting to the FTC that some of those messages aren’t real — and come from scammers. So how can you tell which messages are real and which are phishing scams?

Did you get a call or text saying you’re eligible for thousands of dollars in unclaimed property? Don’t get excited yet. It might be a scammer looking to steal your money or personal information. Here’s how to avoid that scam — and find out if a government agency has money, stocks, or another asset that belongs to you.

Tax season is approaching, and if you’re getting a refund, scammers are looking to steal it before you’ve had a chance to claim it. So, before you respond to a text or email about a “tax refund” — especially one that asks you to click a link — know that this could be a scam designed to get your personal information and steal your tax refund.

You never know where your big Hollywood break will come from. But it probably won’t start with an unexpected text message about a virtual casting call. That’s likely a scam. Learn the cues to avoid this type of phishing scam.

Scammers are pretending to be Amazon again. This time, they’re sending texts claiming there’s a problem with something you bought. They offer a refund if you click a link — but it’s a scam. Here’s how the scam works so you can avoid it.

Chances are, you’ve gotten a scam text about unpaid toll charges or know someone who has. Now scammers are going even further and pretending to be the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) from states all over the country. They insist that you pay for an “overdue traffic ticket” and threaten to suspend your driving privileges (among other things) if you don’t. Here’s how the scam works.