Where have you been? We’ve been trying to reach you. Your car (that you may or may not own) warranty is about to run out and boy have we got a deal for you. This is the IRS and we have a warrant for your arrest if you don’t press the one key. We’ve noticed some fraudulent activity on your Amazon account and all you have to do is provide us with all your sensitive account information and we will rectify that for you…NOT!!!!!
Oh my goodness, scams – whether they come in the form of a phone call, text or email – seem to have gotten out of control; and after enduring this whole COVID mess, none of us really has the time or patience for it right now.
So how do you know you are being scammed and what is a person to do? Well, first of all, keep in mind that huge, reputable organizations like the IRS, your bank or credit union will never contact you by phone, email or text to inform you of your arrest or to ask for your personal information. They already have your personal information and if you happen to be in trouble, the police have no problem knocking – really loudly – on your front door. I know this only from television shows…promise.
If you are being scammed, do not engage. This means, don’t answer the call and don’t press any numbers to be rerouted. Additionally, don’t open or respond to an email or text from anyone you do not know. You also need to be careful with emails and texts from people you do know because hackers can access them as well. These fictitious emails from your contacts may sound somewhat generic. For instance, they may ask how your wife is, but not mention her by name. They may also include poor grammar and bad spelling.
You can report any suspicious activity you’re your state consumer protection office at USA.gov/stop-scams-frauds.