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The good news is that some common scams are easy to spot.
The bad news is that some are technologically improving faster than you or even law enforcement can track.
Fraudsters target older adults and this activity sees an increase during the holidays.
Dont believe the caller if they insist on secrecy because its likely just to protect them.
Be wary of messages that demand quick decisions or use scare tactics, Redding said.
So dont believe the hype and give out personal information or send money to receive something later.
The United States Postal Service has identified common postal or mail fraud schemes so you cancheck here if uncertain.
Another red flag is a request for personal information.
Any unsolicited request for personal or financial information should be treated with suspicion.
Redding said, Legitimate organizations will rarely ask for sensitive details through social media.
Also, be on the lookout for poor grammar and spelling.
Many scam messages are poorly written, containing obvious grammatical errors and misspellings, Redding said.
Whilenot all scamsare poorly written, this can be a telltale sign.
Scammers often send out mass messages hoping to catch afew unsuspecting victims.
Though it sounds nice, theyll then ask you to pay upfront for fees and taxes.
Often, a giant red flag is a too good to be true offer, according to Redding.
If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is, he explained.
Be skeptical of promises of free money, gifts or high returns on investments with little to no risk.
Without it, you could end up losing a lot of money from these various scams.
Phishing Scams
Phishing scams involve fraudulent messages that trick users into clicking on malicious links.
These scams can also involve fake notifications about account issues that require immediate attention.
They might use these profiles to solicit money, request sensitive information or spread malware.
These scams can be emotionally and financially devastating to those affected.
These scams are prevalent on social media.
Scammers make a run at target social media users with these types of scams.
The first he recommended is verifying identities.
This means checking for inconsistencies in their profile and searching for any signs of a fake account.
He also advised individuals to avoid clicking on suspicious links.
Do not select links in unsolicited messages, he said.
When in doubt, navigate to the site directly through your internet tool.
Another way to protect yourself from potential scams is to enable two-factor authentication.
Adding an extra layer of security to your accounts can prevent unauthorized access, Redding said.
After following the above steps, remember to make it a point to revamp your privacy configs.
Reporting helps the platform take action against scammers, while blocking prevents them from contacting you again.
Cindy Lamothecontributed to the reporting for this article.
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