Question 1

What it is: A scammer pretends to be your grandchild or relative in an emergency needing money.

Accepted Answer

Example:
“I’m in jail and need bail money—don’t tell mom and dad!”

How to protect yourself:
• Stay calm and verify with other family members.
• Ask questions only your real family member would know.
• Don’t wire or Zelle money quickly.

Question 2

'Grandparent' Scams Get More Sophisticated

Accepted Answer

https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/scam-alert/grandparent-scams-get-more-sophisticated

Question 3

What it is: A scammer pretends to be a government official, law enforcement, or tech support.

Accepted Answer

Example:
Someone claiming to be from the IRS says you owe back taxes and threatens arrest unless you pay immediately.

How to protect yourself:
• Government agencies never demand payment over the phone.
• Hang up and call the official number to verify.
• Don’t share personal info with unsolicited callers.

Question 4

What it is: Promises of high returns with little or no risk.

Accepted Answer

Example:
A stranger on social media promises to double your money overnight through crypto investments.

How to protect yourself:
• If it sounds too good to be true, it is.
• Research any investment offer thoroughly.
• Avoid sending money to people you don’t know.

Question 5

What it is: You’re told you’ve won a prize but must pay fees or taxes to claim it.

Accepted Answer

Example:
You receive an email saying “You won $10,000!”—just send $200 to release your prize.

How to protect yourself:
• You can’t win a contest you didn’t enter.
• Never pay money to claim a prize.
• Look for typos or urgent language.

Question 6

What it is: Fake websites or sellers offering deals on products that never arrive.

Accepted Answer

Example:
You buy a discounted designer handbag from a Facebook ad, but it never ships.

How to protect yourself:
• Use secure, well-known platforms.
• Check reviews and seller ratings.
• Pay with credit cards (they offer better fraud protection).
• Check Better Business Bureau website

Question 7

What it is: Fraudulent emails, texts, or websites that look legitimate to steal your personal or financial info.

Accepted Answer

Example:
You get an email that looks like it’s from your bank saying “Your account is locked—click here to verify your identity.”

How to protect yourself:
• Don’t click on suspicious links.
• Verify sender email addresses.
• Go directly to the official site to log in.

Question 8

What it is: Someone builds a fake romantic relationship to gain your trust and money.

Accepted Answer

Example:
An online love interest asks for money for a “family emergency” or travel costs.

How to protect yourself:
• Never send money to someone you haven’t met in person.
• Watch for love bombing and urgent financial requests.
• Reverse image search their photos to check for fakes.

Question 9

What it is: A fake technician convinces you your computer has a virus and needs fixing—for a fee.

Accepted Answer

Example:
A popup says “Your PC is infected! Call this number immediately.”

How to protect yourself:
• Don’t call numbers from popups.
• Use antivirus software.
• Only get help from known service providers.

Question 10

Stay Informed

Accepted Answer

Follow trusted sources for scam alerts. Learn about common scams like phishing, fake investments, romance fraud, and tech support scams.

Question 11

Protect Personal Information

Accepted Answer

Never share sensitive info via email or phone unless you initiate the contact. Use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication.

Question 12

Verify Before You Trust

Accepted Answer

Always confirm identities. Don’t trust caller ID or email names—scammers can fake them. Look up official contact details yourself.

Question 13

Watch for Red Flags

Accepted Answer

Be cautious of offers that are too good to be true, urgent messages, or requests for gift cards or crypto payments.

Question 14

Secure Your Devices

Accepted Answer

Keep your devices and apps up-to-date. Use antivirus protection and avoid public Wi-Fi for sensitive activities.

Question 15

Monitor & Freeze Credit

Accepted Answer

Regularly review your statements and credit reports. Consider credit monitoring or freezing your credit to block identity theft.

Question 16

Do Not Call Registry:  Unwanted Calls from Telemarketers

Accepted Answer

https://www.donotcall.gov/

Question 17

If You Suspect a Scam

Accepted Answer

Stop communication, don’t send money, and report it to the proper authorities.

Question 18

USAGov’s 'Where to Report a Scam' tool helps you find the best agency or organization to report the scam.

Accepted Answer

https://www.usa.gov/where-report-scams/where-did-scam-take-place#block-usagov-content

Question 19

General Scams: Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Accepted Answer

https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

Question 20

Identify Theft

Accepted Answer

https://www.identitytheft.gov/

Question 21

Internet Fraud: FBI – Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)

Accepted Answer

https://www.ic3.gov/

Question 22

Financial Scams: SEC Complaints

Accepted Answer

https://www.sec.gov/submit-tip-or-complaint

Question 23

USPS Mail Fraud

Accepted Answer

https://www.uspis.gov/report

Question 24

Your State Attorney General’s Office

Accepted Answer

https://www.naag.org/find-my-ag/

Question 25

Local Law Enforcement

Accepted Answer

https://www.usacops.com/

Question 26

Spam Texts/Emails

Accepted Answer

Forward to 7726 (SPAM) or report to email provider

Question 27

Also Notify

Accepted Answer

• Banks or credit card companies if financial info was shared
• Credit bureaus to flag your credit report
• Social media platforms if scams happened there

Question 28

General Scams: Action Fraud

Accepted Answer

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

Question 29

Cybercrime: National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)

Accepted Answer

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/

Question 30

Citizens Advice

Accepted Answer

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/

Question 31

Suspicious Emails

Accepted Answer

Forward to report@phishing.gov.uk

Question 32

Suspicious Texts

Accepted Answer

Forward to 7726

Question 33

Also Notify

Accepted Answer

• Banks or credit card companies if financial info was shared
• Credit bureaus to flag your credit report
• Social media platforms if scams happened there

Question 34

Australia: Scamwatch

Accepted Answer

https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/

Question 35

Canada: Anti-Fraud Centre

Accepted Answer

https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/

Question 36

Europe: Anti-Fraud Office

Accepted Answer

https://anti-fraud.ec.europa.eu/olaf-and-you/report-fraud_en

Question 37

Also Notify

Accepted Answer

• Banks or credit card companies if financial info was shared
• Credit bureaus to flag your credit report
• Social media platforms if scams happened there

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