Signs of an online dating scam:

• Professes love quickly.
• Claims to be from the U.S., but is overseas for business or military service.
• Asks for money, and lures you off the dating site.
• Claims to need money – for emergencies, hospital bills, or travel.
• Plans to visit, but can’t because of an emergency.

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Warning signs:

• The IRS will first contact you only by mail.
  • The IRS will not first contact you by phone call nor by email.
• The IRS will not require a specific type of payment.
  • If you are asked to pay with a prepaid debit card or with a money transfer, it is not the IRS.

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If you get a pop-up, call, spam email or any other urgent message about a virus on your computer, stop.

• Don’t click on any links or call a phone number.
• Don’t send any money or make a wire transfer.
• Don’t pay with a gift card.
• Don’t give anyone your bank account, credit card or other payment information.
• Don’t give anyone control of your computer.

Warning Signs:

• Real companies also won’t ask for your account passwords. Only scammers do.
• Tech support call asking to be paid via gift card? Stop, that’s a red flag of a scam. Gift cards are for gifts, not payments.
• Tech support scammers may ask for payment via money transfer apps like Zelle or Venmo. Stop. Only use money transfer apps to send money to people that you know & treat those transactions like cash because you can’t get that money back.

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How do I spot a job scam?

• Look for these signs of a scam. Scammers might:
  • promise you a job
  • promise you a government job
  • offer you the secret to getting a job
  • promise that you will make lots of money by working at home
  • offer you a certificate to improve your chances of getting a job

Scammers always will ask you to pay first. That is the biggest sign of any scam. Never pay in advance. Someone might say you cannot lose. It is not true. You will lose money.

How can I avoid a job scam?

• Never deal with anyone who promises you a job. No one can promise you a job.
• Do not pay in advance for information about a job. Even if there is a money-back guarantee.
• Do not deal with anyone who says you have to act fast.
• Ignore promises to make thousands of dollars working in your own home. Those promises are lies.

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If someone steals your identity, you have the right to:

• create an FTC Identity Theft Report
• place a one-year fraud alert on your credit report
• place a seven-year extended fraud alert on your credit report
• get free copies of your credit report
• get fraudulent information removed (or “blocked”) from your credit report
• dispute fraudulent or inaccurate information on your credit report
• stop creditors and debt collectors from reporting fraudulent accounts
• get copies of documents related to the identity theft
• stop a debt collector from contacting you.

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