If you are one of the approximately 40 million taxpayers who owed a balance to the IRS on Tax Day, chances are that stress about being able to pay your taxes went up. Scammers are counting on that stress to target potential fraud victims. With April 15 in the rear view, many taxpayers may find […]
The Social Security Administration recently announced that it will require in-person or online identity verification for certain services beginning April 14. Fraudsters are capitalizing on the changes and sending false requests for information to Social Security beneficiaries. To begin a new claim for Retirement, Survivors, or Auxiliary (spouse or child) Social Security benefits, individuals will […]
Fake job listings can be found almost anywhere, from posters on college campuses to trusted job-search websites. In the latest full year of data reported by the Federal Trade Commission, more than 107,000 individuals reported job opportunity scams, with a total annual loss of $491,000,000. With some criminals dedicating extensive resources to their impersonations, it […]
2024 fraud trends show sweepstakes & prizes scams are #1, while cryptocurrency scams are the most expensive Fraud.org’s annual Top Ten Scams report for 2024 is out. This year, the most common scams reported were Prizes, Sweepstakes, and Free Gifts, accounting for 38% of all complaints. However, the most financially damaging scams were Cryptocurrency and […]
As we’re in the middle of another holiday season, it’s important to understand the different benefits and risks associated with popular payment methods. From traditional mediums like credit cards to more novel services like buy now, pay later, and cryptocurrency, here’s what shoppers should know about these payment types. Credit cards Credit cards enjoy the […]
User reviews are a key part of many consumers’ decision to buy products, but not all reviews are trustworthy. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has estimated that between $55 billion and $146 billion worth of goods and services sold in 2023 were associated with fraudulent user reviews—including fake reviews for products sold online and fake […]
Last month, the Federal Trade Commission put out a warning to consumers about the risks associated with Bitcoin “ATMs,” kiosks where consumers can deposit cash for cryptocurrency. Fraud.org has also tracked this issue over the past couple of years and reached a similar conclusion: crypto ATMs are becoming one of the scammers’ favorite new payment […]
More homes across the U.S. have added solar energy capacity in the past few years, making up 55% of new home electricity generation added in 2023 (according to industry data). This boom follows the implementation of a federal tax credit that can be worth 30% of a homeowner’s solar installation costs. A recent report from […]
A recent trend in scams has seen fraudsters stealing significant sums of money by deceiving victims into handing over gold bars. Some media reports have found individuals who lost nearly their entire life’s savings to these criminals. The FBI also issued an alert on this trend, stating that victims reported losing $55 million to this […]
The Federal Trade Commission and the nonprofit Better Business Bureau have put out alerts to consumers, warning about fraudulent passport renewal services. As summer travel is in full swing, here’s what you need to know about these scams. Fraudsters have been advertising themselves to help U.S. citizens renew their passports, often trying to appear legitimate […]
