Scam Trends

An email or call says a subscription — Best Buy/Geek Squad, or antivirus like Norton or McAfee — auto-renewed, and offers to “help” you cancel or get a refund.

Spot it: Best Buy won’t call you about a renewal. Don’t call the number, and never let anyone connect to your computer remotely.

“Your package is being held for a small unpaid shipping fee — click to pay or reschedule delivery.”

Spot it: Track packages only in the carrier’s own app. Real carriers don’t text a link asking for a fee.

A text says you owe an unpaid toll or have a traffic violation, and pushes you to pay or “settle” right now through a link or QR code — often threatening a suspended license or a court date. The FTC reports a spike in these.

Spot it: Toll agencies and courts don’t collect this way by text. Don’t tap the link or scan the code — check the official toll site or the court directly, using contact info you look up yourself.

Reported by the FTC (opens in a new tab)

“We spotted a suspicious charge — verify now,” or “move your money to a safe account to protect it.” Bank impersonation now drives the highest reported losses.

Spot it: A real bank will never ask you to move money to “protect” it. Hang up and call the number on the back of your card.

A stranger — often after a friendly text, a dating-app match, or a “wrong number” that turns into a warm chat — slowly builds trust, then steers you to a crypto app or website that shows fake profits. Also includes “double your Bitcoin” giveaways and “we can recover your lost crypto” follow-up scams.

Spot it: Never invest through an app or link someone messaged you, and never let an online-only contact guide your money. If a platform shows big gains but blocks withdrawals or demands a “fee” or “tax” to cash out, it’s a scam. No one legitimately doubles your crypto.

Reported by the SEC (opens in a new tab)

Lookalike resale pages sell tickets that don’t exist, or sell the same ticket to several people.

Spot it: Buy only from the official venue, team, or box office — not a link from a search ad or a social-media post.

A call or message claims your Social Security number was “suspended,” or that you owe the IRS — and demands payment, often by gift card, wire, or a Bitcoin ATM.

Spot it: Government agencies don’t call to demand payment or threaten arrest. Don’t pay; look the agency up yourself.

A message claiming to be Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, or PayPal warns of an unusual sign-in and asks you to “verify” through a link.

Spot it: Open the company’s website by typing it in yourself. Never verify through a link in the message.

Ads and social-media posts sell “miracle” weight-loss, male-enhancement, or cure-all supplements with dramatic before/after photos, “doctors hate this” hooks, or a familiar face. The FDA keeps finding that many hide prescription drugs and make claims no supplement can back up.

Spot it: No supplement legally melts fat or cures a disease overnight. Be wary of miracle claims, fake celebrity endorsements, and “free trial — just pay shipping” traps. Check the FDA’s health-fraud list before buying anything like this.

Reported by the FDA (opens in a new tab)

A message says you’ve won a lottery or sweepstakes — sometimes named “Publishers Clearing House” — but you must pay a fee or “taxes” to claim it.

Spot it: You never have to pay to collect a real prize. If they ask for money, it’s a scam.