What is a Scam?
We’ve all heard the word “scam” in many different contexts. A scam is a fraudulent or deceptive scheme designed to steal money, sensitive information, or identity from unsuspecting individuals. In this article, we will walk you through how to spot some of the latest scams with examples of phishing email, text, and social media scams—some of which might be easier to recognize than others.
Even if you think you’re a scam-spotting master, reviewing some of the scam recognition basics never hurts, especially as scams become more advanced and widespread, and adapt to people’s behaviors.
How to Spot an Email Scam
Easy to spot email scam:
Right away, this email comes off as strange, especially from a company like PayPal.
Here are the red flags:
- Numerous grammatical errors
- Missing opener
- Dense body copy
- Extra punctuation
- Inconsistent spacing
- Suspiciously formatted disclaimer on the bottom
In addition, a closer look at the sending email vs. PayPal’s official email, as well as the false sense of urgency of a confusing and unproven issue followed by a quick and easy solution, further indicates that this email is a scam.
In conclusion, this Paypal phishing email is noticeably suspicious and should be avoided. If you are still unsure and require assistance from an expert, use Hogo’s ScamAssist tool to further investigate suspicious scams.
Hard to Spot Email Scam:
Unlike the previous PayPal email, this example looks quite legitimate with clean spacing, an opener addressing the customer, and a proper logo in the header. Though there are some grammatical errors, they may not be noticeable to the average reader and do not hinder the email’s message.
In this instance, it might be harder to determine whether this email is legitimate or not, and you might be tempted to click on the button at the bottom of the email.
When Unsure, Do Not Click.
A closer look at the sender information reveals that the email sent by “Account Support” is actually from a gmail.com account unrelated to PayPal. It may also be helpful to remember that, other than small businesses, legitimate company emails will come from a private, rather than a public domain.
Again, if you need to better understand whether a text, email, or direct message is scam, use Hogo’s ScamAssist tool to determine if it’s a scam or not.
How to Spot Text Scams
As robocalls continue to overwhelm the average person, more people have turned to texting as their primary means of communication. Unfortunately, scammers have begun flooding people’s text messages with various convincing scam notifications.
In a situation where you might be unsure whether a text notification is a scam or not, check your account on the organization’s official website to see whether a notification matching the information on the text message has been sent to you there as well. When in doubt, do not engage with the sender but rather opt to delete the text.
How to Spot Scams on Social Media
Easy to spot
Commonly seen on multiple social media platforms, the RayBan “sale” link continues to dupe thousands of people, compromising their accounts and reposting the scam in the process.
Always be wary of free giveaways on social media, even if it is posted by people and accounts you know.
If an offer is too good to be true, then it is probably a scam.
Hard to Spot Scams on Social Media
Scammers have become effective at taking over the accounts of people you know so that you are less likely to suspect a scam.
Although following the instructions of this compromised account seems harmless, the link they may send to your phone is actually a real Instagram “Forgot Password” link. The screenshot you send them gives them all the information they need to take over your account and continue to scam others.
Conclusion
Being conscious of red flags and staying informed of the latest scams is key to protecting your sensitive information from identity theft. Stay up to date with our latest blogs. And remember to check out Hogo’s ScamAssist tool to spot scams.