Common Scams
Affordable Care Act Scam
Scammers love the Affordable Care Act (Marketplace, Obamacare), using it as a way to fool Americans into sharing their personal information.
Arrest Warrant Scam
Scammers create a fake caller ID, which allows them to call you and appear to be calling from a local police, sheriff, or other law enforcement agency.
Check & Money Order Scams
The underlying premise to these scams is based on the victim receiving a counterfeit check or money order, depositing the item in their own bank account, and forwarding a portion of the funds through a wire transfer service (Moneygram or Western Union) to the scammer.
Check Fraud
Check fraud is a criminal act that involves the unlawful use of checks to illegally acquire or borrow funds that do not exist within the account balance or account holder's legal ownership.
Credit & Debit Card Fraud
Credit or debit card fraud happens when one person steals another person's credit card and makes charges under that person's name.
Do Not Call List Scam
This scam targets those looking to be added to the National Do Not Call Registry (U.S.) or Do Not Call List (Canada).
eBay / Auction Reseller Scam
Scammers posing as buyers convince sellers into shipping goods prior to receiving payment.
Elder Fraud
Broadly defined, financial elder abuse is when someone illegally or improperly uses a vulnerable senior's money or other property for personal gain. Senior citizens are targets for specific types of fraud scams and schemes.
Facebook Fake Friend Scam
Did you ever get a friend request on Facebook from someone you already thought was your friend? If you hit accept, you may have just friended a scammer.
Foreign Currency Fraud
Investments in foreign currency can sound like a great idea, and scammers frequently use real current events and news stories to make their pitches even more appealing.
Fortune Tellers
A crime designed to financially exploit a victim under the guise of providing assistance.
Home Improvement Fraud
When the need arises for improvements or repairs that you can't do for yourself, many people turn to others to do the work.
Identity Theft
Identity theft is the crime of obtaining the personal or financial information of another person for the sole purpose of assuming that person's name or identity in order to make transactions or purchases.
Invisible Home Improvement Scam
Scammers target homeowners by offering home improvements, which are either not completed or completed sub standardly.
Jamaican Switch or Pigeon Drop
The key element of a Pigeon Drop offense is the finding of a large quantity of currency and convincing the potential victim they can share in the money.
Lottery or Sweepstakes Scam
Lottery or Sweepstakes scams target people by claiming you've won the lottery, and may even use the name of legitimate organizations.
Medical Alert Scam
This is a telemarketing scam that promises a 'free' medical alert system, that scam targeted seniors and caretakers.
Nigerian 419 / Advance Fee Fraud
These frauds take the form of an offer, via letter, email, or fax, to share a huge sum of money in return for using the recipient's bank account to transfer the money out of the country.
Parent or Caregiver Scam
Broadly defined, parent or caregiver fraud is when someone illegally extorts a victim using an emotional or hysterical appeal for money or other property for personal gain. Parents and Caregivers are especially vulnerable due to the emotional appeal made by the suspect.
Phishing, Pharming & Vishing
The victim receives an email that appears to be from a credible, real bank or credit card company, with links to a website and a request to update account information. But the website and email are fakes, made to look like the real website.
Postal Fraud
Mail theft is a federal crime and is defined as anyone taking any piece of mail, be it a letter or a package, for any purpose.
Text Message Scam
It looks like a text alert from your bank, asking you to confirm information or 'reactivate your debit card' by following a link on your smartphone. But it is just a way to steal personal information.