Don’t Click That! Phishing & Phone Scams Are Spreading
🚫 Don’t Take the Bait: Spot Phishing, Smishing & Vishing Scams📱
Scammers use emails (phishing), texts (smishing), and calls (vishing) to steal your personal and financial information. These messages often appear urgent or offer enticing rewards—but they're traps. Their goal? Bank accounts, credit cards, Social Security numbers, and more.
📢 Common Tactics to Watch For:
Offers of gifts like watches, phones, or bill discounts in exchange for personal info.
Promises to lower your monthly payments—only if you prepay via gift card.
Requests for passwords, account numbers, verification codes, or Social Security details.
Scammers create urgency to force quick responses.
Spoofed caller IDs, fake emails, or manipulated SMS sender addresses to seem legitimate.
🛡️ How to Protect Yourself:
Never share personal or financial information via email, text, or phone unless you initiated the contact.
Ignore unsolicited offers promising prizes or savings.
Be suspicious of payment requests via gift cards, crypto, or wire.
Use trusted reverse image search and contact family or friends before taking action.
🧰 Helpful Resources:
📍 If You’ve Been Targeted or Scammed:
End all communication immediately.
Report to the FTC (ReportFraud.ftc.gov) and your bank.
Look over your financial and credit accounts for unauthorized activity.
Reach out to your financial institution to freeze or secure affected accounts.
