Archives - Scam Alert


Don’t fall for fake calls about your taxes

Sometimes scammers will call your cell phone instead of sending emails. This is called vishing. A scammer may pretend to be a government official and tell you that you have unpaid taxes. They’ll likely then tell you that you have to pay them immediately or you will go to jail. Hang up — this is […]

Report suspicious online activity to the FBI

If you receive a suspicious email and suspect that it is an attempted phishing attack, report it to the FBI by submitting an official tip. Tips are meant to help the FBI with ongoing investigations, which in turn makes you safer online. Tips are not meant to report cybercrimes that were successfully carried out — […]

Watch out for rental scams

When applying to rent a home, prospective renters often need to provide landlords with personal information like their Social Security number, rental history and employment information. Watch out for fake apartment listings that aim to steal that personal information. If an apartment has a price that is too good to be true, it likely is. […]

Contact your state health department to ensure a contact tracer is real

The Federal Trade Commission warned of fake contact tracers trying to gather personal information from consumers. For reference, a contact tracer will never ask you for money or ask for any personal financial information, nor will they ask about your immigration status or send you links to download. If a supposed contact tracer does any […]

Know the difference between a contact tracer and a scammer

In order to track the spread of the coronavirus, contact tracers might reach out to you if you took a COVID-19 test or if someone you know has tested positive. You should be aware of the signs for when someone is pretending to be a contact tracer, but is really a scammer trying to get […]

Random text message? No real prize is waiting for you

Please don’t reply to — or click on — a link for a random text message you see on your phone saying that you’ve won a prize, gift card or an expensive electronic like an iPad. It’s most likely a scam. Delete random texts, especially those that ask you to enter a special code, or […]