Any organization that isn’t your employer, the IRS or your bank probably doesn’t need to know your social security number. However, sometimes other organizations will ask for it. They may need it or they might not, and you should ask questions before agreeing to give it to them. These questions, as recommended by the Federal […]

If your bank or another institution with which you have an account calls you, there’s no reason they should have to ask you for personal information like your account number. They should already have that on file and easily accessible if they were planning to contact you. If this happens, it’s likely a scam. Hang […]

A scammer may reach out to you through a phone call or email and tell you they have a limited-time offer for a prepaid gift card or debit card. The offer might sound enticing — it could be a gift card worth more than they are asking you to pay. However, this is often a […]

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 […]

Hackers don’t want to give you time to think about an offer, because you may figure out their scheme. They might tell you that the offer is only valid for one day, or even just the next few minutes. Always be wary of such an offer and research the vendor in question before moving forward.

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 […]