How to spot and avoid the most common types of scams

In today’s digital world, scams have become more sophisticated and widespread than ever. Criminals are using phone calls, text messages, email, social media, and even emerging AI tools to trick people into giving away personal information or money. Understanding common types of scams can help you recognize and avoid them.

Direct Scams

Direct scams rely on physical access to your data and information. This includes things such as stolen wallets, mail theft, or phone scams. You can take steps to help protect yourself by limiting what you carry, securing your mailbox, and using call-blocking tools. Be sure to check your credit card statements regularly to monitor activity. If something seems off, it probably is.

Digital Scams

Digital scams can include things such as email phishing, malicious websites, public Wi-Fi risks, and dangerous text messages. While these can often be hard to spot, there are specific warning signs that you can look out for to avoid falling for these types of scams. When opening emails or text messages, watch for misspelled URLs, urgent requests, unexpected attachments, and suspicious pop-ups. Avoid using public Wi-Fi for sensitive tasks and never click unknown links. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) can help to encrypt your internet traffic and hide your IP address by routing it through a secure server. This helps keep your data private and protects you from hackers, especially on public Wi-Fi.

AI-powered Scams

As AI development continues to evolve quickly, scammers are taking advantage of individuals’ inability to distinguish between AI-generated content and reality. AI scams can look and sound incredibly real making them harder to identify. Voice cloning and deepfakes allow criminals to impersonate loved ones, executives, and brands with shocking realism. Establishing family safe words and verifying requests independently is vitally important to not fall prey to AI scams.

To learn more about ways you can protect yourself from common types of scams and other cybersecurity best practices, join us for an educational discussion Protecting your Data: Aware and Prepared. Click here to register!