Topic 18 of 20
Scams and identity theft: spot them, stop them
Scammers aim at people in transition: new job seekers, new renters, people who just moved and are waiting on deliveries. Every scam, however polished, eventually asks for the same few things, and recognizing that request is the most reliable defence.
Scams and identity theft guides
The four warning signs
- They contact you first and claim to be from a familiar organisation: your bank, a government agency, a delivery company, a recruiter.
- There is a problem or a prize: a locked account, a missed package, a tax debt, a job offer you did not apply for.
- They pressure you to act now, before you have time to check or ask someone.
- They ask you to pay or share in a specific way: gift cards, wire transfers, crypto, a payment app, or a code that was just texted to you.
If a message hits two or more of these, stop and verify it through a channel you find yourself, such as the number on your card or the official website typed into your browser.
Scams that target people starting out
- Fake job offers that hire you without an interview, then send a check to buy equipment and ask you to send part back.
- Rental scams that copy real listings, refuse to show the unit and ask for a deposit before you have keys.
- Delivery and toll texts with links to pay a small fee, which steal card details.
- Impersonation calls from the "IRS", "Social Security" or your bank, demanding immediate payment or asking you to move money to a "safe account".
Free protections to set up now
A credit freeze at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion is free and blocks most new-account fraud. Two-step verification stops many account takeovers even when a password leaks. A password manager lets you use a unique password for every account. Together, these take about an hour and remove the most common ways identity theft starts.
If it already happened
Do not be embarrassed; scammers are professionals. Contact the bank or company you paid immediately, change passwords for affected accounts, and if your personal information was used, go to IdentityTheft.gov, which builds a personal recovery plan. Report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov so that law enforcement can see the pattern.
Scam defence checklist
Tick items as you go. Ticks stay on this page only and clear when you leave.
Questions people ask
What is the fastest way to tell if a message is a scam?
Ask what it wants you to do. Pressure to act right now, a request to pay in an unusual way, or a request for passwords, codes or your Social Security number are strong signs of a scam, whoever the message claims to be from.
Does a credit freeze hurt my credit score?
No. A freeze stops new lenders from seeing your report, which blocks most new-account fraud, and it does not affect your score. You can lift it temporarily when you apply for credit.
What should I do if I gave a scammer money?
Contact the company you paid through right away, such as your bank, card issuer or the gift card company, and ask them to reverse or stop the payment. Then report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Act fast; recovery chances drop with time.