Introduction
Hi. I’m Buddy. In case there’s no one available on chat, (or you just don’t want to talk with anyone), I’m here to help. I can help with the following things:
1) If you’ve received a call, text, email, or visit from someone you think might be a scammer, or you’d just like a second opinion;
2) If you’ve contacted someone about something they’re selling or renting, but want to know some signs of a scam to look out for;
3) If you’re applying for a job and want to know some signs of a scam to look out for;
4) If you feel you’ve been scammed, some resources to report it and possible next steps to take.
Here are a few tips to get you started quickly.
- If you’re asked to send anyone money via payment methods that are essentially cash, like Crypto, gift cards, and peer-to-peer apps, be very careful. These are methods favored by scammers, as recovering money using these methods is impossible or nearly so.
- If you’re “overpayed”, or asked to send money to someone else, don’t. It’s likely a scam, and you could find yourself in a position of being charged with crimes such as money laundering, as well as being charged overdraft and insufficient funds fees for overdrawing your account, as the money you were sent may not exist in the first place.
- If someone you’ve met online asks you for money to help them, unless you’ve actually seen and talked with that person, it’s probably best to decline. Even (and perhaps especially), if they’ve been proclaiming their undying love for you, just say no. It may well be, and likely is, a scam.
- If someone asks you to move your money to another account, or email money, in order to protect your accounts, don’t. It’s very likely a scam.
- If someone asks you to pay for job training, equipment, or other onboarding job expenses, don’t take the job. It’s likely a scam.
- If someone accuses you of doing something illegal and wants you to pay fines with gift cards, crypto. wire transfers, or peer-to-peer apps, don’t. Legitimate government entities will never conduct business in that way. It’s a scam.
- If a company claims your computer is infected and offers to help you “fix” it, don’t. It’s very likely a scam, and the tools they use to gain access to your machine will instead give them unfettered access to your personal information and accounts.
- If someone contacts you saying one of your family members is in trouble, it may well be a scam. This is often called a “grandparents scam”, because victims tend to be grandparents and the family member supposedly in trouble is a grandchild.
- If someone claiming to be an employee of a company asks you to provide them with a code in order to complete a login, don’t! It’s almost certainly a scam!
- If someone says you’ve won a prize, but that you need to pay taxes or fees before you can receive it, don’t engage. It’s a scam!
It’s impossible to cover all the different scenarios here. Scams are so numerous and take so many different forms, that it’s not feasible to cover every situation. Please click the link that most closely resembles yours.
I received a Phone call, text, or Email From Someone Saying They’re From: