By Kerry Gallagher
Americans are facing a barrage of scams, according to new research from Pew. Over 60% of Americans say they are receiving scam phone calls, emails and text messages at least weekly. Roughly 1 in 3 receive scam phone calls and emails daily. And 1 in 5 receive scam text messages on a daily basis. As the Federal Trade Commission reports, teens are also receiving scam text messages more than ever.
And over 20% of Americans report losing money to an online scam or attack. The most common scams include:
- Government Impersonators: Scammers pose as government officials, such as IRS or Social Security agents, to threaten legal action or loss of benefits and demand money or personal information. Learn more from the IRS.
- Tech Support Scams: Fraudsters pretend to be from major tech companies to report fake computer problems, then seek remote access or payment for unnecessary services. Learn more from the FBI.
- Emergency or Grandparent Scams: Scammers impersonate a relative in urgent trouble to pressure you into sending money quickly. Learn more from the FTC.
- Charity and Disaster Fraud: Scammers use fake charities or disaster relief appeals to steal donations. Learn more from the FBI.
- Business Imposters: Fraudsters pose as legitimate businesses or charities to pressure you into sending money or gift cards. Learn more from the FTC.
Despite the staggering number of scams reported in this survey, 74% of Americans who have lost money to an online scam have never contacted law enforcement. Yet 68% of Americans say the federal government is doing a “bad job” curbing online scams and attacks.
Learn to report spam and scam text messages from the FTC. Teach these reporting methods to teens in your family.
When we talk to our teens about recognizing, avoiding, and reporting digital scams we are both helping prevent them from becoming victims and also encouraging them to be part of the solution by teaching them to report the problem.