Avoiding Scams: Here Are Some Warning Signs

The recent apprehension and prosecution of a Miami, Florida, man has brought fraudulent activity to the forefront in Kimball. Suspect Abraham Espinoza traveled to Kimball from Florida to retrieve tens of thousands of dollars from a victim of a computer scam.

Here are four signs from the Federal Trade Commission on how to avoid a scam:

• Scammers pretend to be from an organization you know. They act to contact you on behalf of the government, Social Security, the IRS, or Medicare. They might also pretend to be from a business such as a utility company, tech company, or even a charity. Be aware of the phone number because scammers can change their phone number.

• The second sign of a scam is that the scammers say there is a problem or a prize. Using tricks like you owe money to the government, someone in your family has an emergency, or there is a virus on your computer. Scammers say there is a problem with one of your accounts, and you need to verify the information. Others might tell you that you won money in a lottery or sweepstakes and have to pay a fee to get it.

• The third tactic that scammers use is to force you to act immediately. They pressure you to act and not think about it. If you are on the phone, they might tell you not to hang up, so you can’t check out their story. They use any methods necessary, such as threatening to arrest you, take away your driver’s license, or deport you. They might say your computer is about to be corrupted.

• Finally, scammers tell you to pay in a specific way. They often insist that you pay by sending money through a money transfer company or putting money on a gift card and then giving them the number on the back; some will send you a check (that will later turn out to be fake), tell you to deposit it, and then send them the money.

Scams and fraudulent activity are always changing. New and creative methods are constantly evolving to separate you from your money.

The newest scam alert centers on romance scams, payday loans, student loan forgiveness scams, and one-time password bot scams.