Don’t fall for these 5 new scams

March 10, 2024

By Kim Komando

Turns out, you can teach an old scammer new tricks. Lucky for you, I’ve got your back. Here are the top scams crooks are cooking up these days and how to avoid getting duped.

3 trending traps to watch out for:

📱 Phoning it in: After a recent cell service outage, reports of bogus emails from AT&T to customers started pouring in. The emails said that, due to the outage, the customer didn’t have to pay their bill.

Scammers enticed customers to click a button and enter personal information to claim the offer, which, of course, was a trap. Be smart: your phone company will never ask you for personal information via email!

💔 Bitcoin love bite: It’s hard enough out there for our single friends, but now scammers are adding insult to injury. The BBB issued an alert on a new Tinder scam — and it’s a big crock of crypto BS.

Here’s how it works: After matching with a potential partner, your crush suggests taking the conversation to a texting app like WeChat or WhatsApp. That’s where things get hot n’ schemey. Now they’re telling you their friend or family member is a big-time bitcoin investor with access to lucrative “insider info.” 

As soon as you deposit your money into a crypto account … poof. It’s gone forever and your new “sweetheart” blocks you. Don’t get blinded by love, folks.

🇺🇲 Uncle Sam switcheroo: It’s tax time, and that means IRS scams are back in season. Scammers typically call and bully victims over “unpaid bills” or even threaten arrest. 

Remember, the IRS is slow. If you owe money, they’ll mail you multiple notices before contacting you via phone. And they’ll never pressure you to make an urgent payment right then and there.

🚔 Crypto cops: A crypto scam involving the police is back in style. A caller will say they’re with the local police department and ask for payment through cryptocurrency. 

Scammers often use spoofed phone numbers, making them tough to track down. 

Don’t be fooled: Police officers and department employees will never require you to make payments over the phone, definitely not in cryptocurrency. Unfortunately, the intimidation factor trips up victims. 

🔧 Tool time: Home improvement scams are on the rise. These crooks target homeowners and claim to do work on the cheap. Pro tip: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. 

The FTC warns home improvement scammers also try to pressure you to make an immediate decision, ask for payment upfront or only accept cash, and suggest you borrow money from a lender they know. Home may be where the heart is, but use your head on this one!

Scammers are smart, but you’re smarter

When in doubt:

• Never give personal information over the phone, text or email without verifying the company you’re dealing with is legitimate. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If they’re the real deal, they’ll be able to verify themselves quickly.
• Don’t send money to anyone you’ve never met in person (c’mon people, we’ve been over this!).
• When online dating, keep communication in the app. It’s a red flag when someone’s in a hurry to move the conversation elsewhere.
• If you receive a shady call from the police, get the name of the “officer” you’re speaking with, then hang up. Call the department back and ask to talk with that person to verify they’re real. 
• Double-check mailed notices from the IRS online on the IRS website here, and always be sure you’re looking at the .gov account.

🤣 The disadvantage of scamming people at a prisoners’ convention is that everyone is trying to scam you, too. It’s a con con con con. (Oh, I just crack myself up!)

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