Akron Reporter

It is 2023 and the growing number of already existing scams continue to increase. The Fairlawn Police Department receives multiple calls a week regarding suspicious phone calls, text messages and emails. Be vigilant for tried-and-true scams, such as romance and online purchase scams, but beware of modern twists. Scammers may incorporate a recent local news event or cryptocurrencies into their messages.

Below is a list of current popular scams and steps you can take to protect yourself and remain vigilant.

1. Student Loan Forgiveness Scams

When student loan forgiveness applications opened in 2022, the FBI warned borrowers to watch out for scams targeting applicants. Student loan forgiveness scammers may contact you via phone or create phony application sites aimed at stealing your Social Security number or your bank account information. They may put pressure on their victims with fake urgent messages that encourage you to apply for debt relief before it's too late. Then they'll charge you a hefty application fee. In reality, it's a scam.

It costs nothing to apply for student loan forgiveness, so anyone who asks you to pay a fee is committing fraud. In addition, the U.S. Department of Education won't contact you by phone. You can stay safe and avoid student loan forgiveness scams by going directly to the Department of Education website for information about applying for forgiveness.

2. Phone Scams

• Robocalls: Robocalls have people's phones ringing nonstop with increasingly natural-sounding recorded voices. They may offer everything from auto warranties to vacations or issue a threat to try and get your attention. Some robocalls can even respond to your questions.
• Texts: You may receive a text message from an unknown number or email address. Often, these "phishing" attempts include a link to a scammer's website or app.
• Impersonators: Scammers impersonate IRS personnel, police, survey takers, relatives, delivery people and well-known companies to threaten you or gain your trust. They use scare tactics related to your Social Security number, criminal record or account before asking for your personal, account or credit card information.
• Apps: Scammers may try to get you to install a malicious app to steal your information. Or they might create a nearly identical copy of an existing app and then make money from in-app purchases.
• QR codes: QR codes have gained popularity as a touchless option to do things like read a restaurant menu or make a payment. However, scammers place their QR codes in inconspicuous spots, and scanning the code could prompt you to make a small purchase or enter your credentials on a look-alike website.

3. Romance Scams

While romance scams aren't new, their popularity continues to rise. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), people lost $547 million to romance scams in 2021, up 80% compared to 2020 and six times higher than in 2017.

Scammers often steal someone's identity or create fake profiles on dating and social media apps to meet victims. There's no surefire method to detect a fake, although scammers may use stock photos and make excuses for why they can't meet in person.

After gaining your trust, they may ask you to buy them something or send them money. Recently, some scammers have posed as investors and shared false investment tips with their victims, which could lead you to invest in a fake opportunity. Or the person may "mistakenly" send you money and ask you to send it back or forward it to someone else. If your bank later determines that their payment was fraudulent, the sum of the payment will be subtracted from your account.

Romance scams can target anyone, and some scammers seek to form platonic rather than romantic relationships.

How to Avoid a Scam

While scammers' delivery methods and messaging can quickly change, a few basic security measures can help protect you from the latest and most common scams:

• Be skeptical when someone contacts you. Scammers can spoof calls and emails to make it look like they are coming from different sources, including government agencies, charities, banks and large companies. Don't share personal information, usernames, passwords or one-time codes that others can use to access your accounts or steal your identity.
• Enable multifactor authentication. Add this feature to any accounts that offer it as an option and try to use a non-SMS version to protect yourself from SIM swapping.
• Research companies. Before you make a purchase or donation, take a few minutes to review the company. Do a web search for its name plus "scam" or "reviews" and research charities on Charity Navigator and CharityWatch.
• Be careful with your phone. If you suspect a spam call, don't respond or press a button. The safest option is to hang up or ignore the call entirely. You can always look up the organization and initiate a call yourself if you're worried there may actually be an issue.
• Don't refund or forward overpayments. Be careful whenever a company or person asks you to refund or forward part of a payment. Often, the original payment will be fraudulent and taken back later.
• Look for suspicious payment requirements. Scammers often ask for payments via wire transfer, money order, cryptocurrency or gift cards. These payments can be harder to track and cancel than other forms of payment, which can leave you stuck without recourse.

Original source can be found here