It could be a text message saying your bank account has been compromised. Or it’s a warning on a web browser your computer has been compromised and you need to buy a virus protector immediately.
The virtual world has become the mine-filled landscape for anyone navigating the internet, and people of all ages can get yanked in by a scam.
‘It’s not going away’
“It’s not going away — it seems to grow,” said Vee Daniel, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of the Upstate.
According to the BBB, online scams grew 87% between 2015-2016 and 2021-2022. The organization reported online-purchase scams being the most prevalent, followed closely by cryptocurrency and romance-related scams.
While seniors can be especially vulnerable, given their tendency to be less internet savvy, they are by no means the only demographic to fall prey to online scams. In fact, the BBB found those between the ages of 35 and 64 reported a higher exposure to online purchase scams in 2022 than any other age groups, with at least 72% reporting exposure to scams. Those aged 18-24 reported the highest median loss in 2022, at $156 per scam.
It’s not just a few dollars that people are losing, either. Daniel knew of an Upstate couple who sent $29,000 to scammers in Huntington Beach, California. Many scammers have been known to empty a target’s entire bank account.
“There’s nothing they can do to get that money back,” Daniel said.
This holiday season, a significant number of consumers will be shopping online, and in a BBB survey of what consumers will be purchasing, about two-thirds of respondents said they’d be buying gift cards — another way scammers can grift money from victims because gift cards are less trackable and easy to send info online.
She said that years ago, scammers used to only come from abroad. Now they could now be the next-door neighbor. For example, people might not trust someone from across the country or abroad, but if the scammer knows of local businesses and towns, the victim will be more easily led on, according to Daniel.
In addition, many scammers can masquerade as legitimate companies and organizations like Amazon and the IRS, according to the BBB. Scammers will use logos and photos to send emails alerting consumers that their information has been compromised. Even more insidious are demands from those pretending to be from the IRS demanding payment.
The BBB offers a scam tracker at bbb.org/scamtracker/scamresources, as well as information on how to avoid scams over the holidays at bbb.org/all/holiday.
New weapons in fighting scams
According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, a division of the FBI that investigates online fraud, consumers filed nearly 850,000 complaints for losses totaling $6.9 billion in 2021.
That information led to Clemson University partnering with four other schools across the country to develop Deception Awareness and Resilience Training to help seniors, because they can be particularly susceptible to online fraud.
Darren Linvill, associate professor of communication in the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, is the lead Clemson professor with the study.
“These kind of scams can come in all forms. They can be incredibly creative,” Linvill said.
His own late father, himself a professor, lost access to his computer on two separate occasions. And having fallen for a scam was incredibly embarrassing for him, Linvill said. As such, these crimes can keep people in silence.
“A lot of these crimes go unreported,” Linvill said.
Moreover, the scammers in other countries are rarely prosecuted because of the complexity of working with law enforcement agencies between nations.
Lt. Ryan Flood with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office said deputies investigate every complaint made about fraud, but it often goes above their jurisdiction. In such cases, the FBI steps in. He also stressed the importance of knowing that law enforcement never calls citizens demanding money.
“We also send out reminders that law enforcement will never call people and notify them of a warrant, or jury duty or any legal matter where we, then, request personal information, including bank information,” Flood said.
Education is key
For educated, English-speaking people in countries like India, Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia, scamming can be lucrative work when jobs can be hard to come by. In fact, the operations can be sophisticated — so much so that they operate in call center-style operations organized like legitimate businesses.
“Many of the scammers will sound authentic and even use law enforcement officers’ names and can spoof an agency’s number,” Flood said.
Linvill said the ease of creating social media accounts has proliferated a number of scams. Much like it’s important for parents to monitor what their young children are doing online, he said it’s important for adult children to monitor what their parents are doing online. He said engaging with them and avoiding criticism or judgement can help address an issue that’s hard to discuss.
Daniel suggested that people who are unsure of whether a call or email is legitimate should ask questions:
- What’s the name of your business?
- What’s your name?
- What’s your address?
- What’s your website?
Daniel said when scammers are challenged with questions, they will often hang up. She said consumers should hang up and call the utility company, business or organization in question using a trusted number to check if the call is legitimate. Most of the time, legitimate organizations contact customers through the mail, she said.
“Treat the digital world more like you would the real world,” Linvill said. “I’m not going to hand someone my phone because I like their T-shirt.”
Tips for avoiding scams
- Don’t respond to emails/calls from contests you didn’t enter
- When in doubt, check ’em out
- If you don’t know who the caller is, don’t answer it
- Avoid giving out personal info unless you know who you’re talking to
- Ask questions about the caller and his or her business
- Avoid people sending messages on social media for dates
- Don’t click links on emails unless you’ve done business with the company before
- Beware of anyone asking for payments in gift cards
Common fraud schemes
Romance scam: Criminals pose as interested romantic partners on social media or dating websites.
Tech support scam: Criminals pose as technology support representatives and offer to fix non-existent computer issues.
Grandparent scam: Criminals pose as a relative — usually a child or grandchild — claiming to be in immediate financial need.
Government impersonation scam: Criminals pose as government employees and threaten to arrest or prosecute victims unless they agree to pay.
Sweepstakes/charity/lottery scam: Criminals claim to work for a charitable organization to gain victims’ trust, or claim victim has won a foreign lottery or sweepstake, which they can collect for a “fee.”
Home repair scam: Criminals appear in person and charge homeowners in advance for home-improvement services they never provide.
TV/radio scam: Criminals target potential victims using advertisements about services, such as reverse mortgages or credit repair.
Family/caregiver scam: Perpetrators are relatives or acquaintances of the elderly victims and take advantage of them or otherwise get their money.
Investment scam: Criminals offer unsuitable investments, fraudulent offerings, and unrecognized products which can result in the theft or misappropriation of funds.
Source: FBI
