By Mary O’KEEFE

As technology improves for civilians it also improves for criminals. Consequently, there are a variety of scam warnings being released by law enforcement.

The FBI is warning the public about scams that include those that have people impersonating law enforcement, government officials and even the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Scammers often use artificial intelligence (AI) generated voice messages to trick people into revealing personal information. 

Below is just a few scams the FBI is warning about:

Business Email Compromise. Business email compromise (BEC) is one of the most financially damaging online crimes. It exploits the fact that so many people rely on email to conduct business – both personally and professionally.

Charity and Disaster Fraud. Charity fraud scams can come in many forms: emails, social media posts, crowdfunding platforms, cold calls, etc. They are especially common after high-profile disasters. Always use caution and do research when looking to donate to charitable causes.

Cryptocurrency Job Scams. Cryptocurrency job scams begin when scammers, masquerading as employees of legitimate companies, recruit victims and require them to deposit their own money in order to complete the job.

Elder Fraud. Each year, millions of elderly Americans fall victim to some type of financial fraud or confidence scheme. Common scams that target older citizens include romance scams, tech support scams, grandparent scams, government impersonation scams, sweepstakes and lottery scams, home repair scams and TV/radio scams.

The Federal Trade Commission also warns the public of scams:

Veterans and caregivers: Recognize VA benefits overpayment scams. Got a letter in the mail from the Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA) saying you owe money due to an overpayment of your benefits? You might be wondering: Was I really overpaid? How much do I need to pay back? To get real answers to questions like these, people should always start by logging into their VA.gov account or call (800) 827-0648. 

Help the people affected by flooding in Texas. In response to the devastating flash flooding in central Texas, many people are looking for ways to get and give help. And scammers are looking to prey on people’s generosity. Donate to charities that are known and trusted with a proven track record of dealing with disasters.

• Before giving, personally research the charity – especially if the donation request comes on social media. Check out the charity on the Better Business Bureau’s Give.org or Charity Watch. Find out exactly how much of each donation goes directly to the people the charity says it helps.
• Don’t donate to anyone who insists payment must be by cash or gift card or by wiring money, or cryptocurrency. That’s how scammers say to pay. Those who decide to donate should pay by credit card to gain more protections.
• Be cautious about giving to individuals on crowdfunding sites. Know that money raised in a crowdfunding campaign goes to the campaign organizer, not directly to the people or cause it’s set up to help. Review the platform’s policies – does it take measures to verify postings that ask for help after a disaster? And know that donating via crowdfunding is not tax deductible.
• Confirm the number before texting to donate. If someone asks a potential victim to donate by text, call the number on the charity’s website to confirm the right number has been given to donate by text.

One common scam involves a “skimmer.” This is a device that captures data from the magnetic stripe of a credit or debit card. These skimmers are often found at ATMs, gas pumps and sale terminals. The skimmer is often used when people use their card. But many use the tap card system, where the individual just “taps” his/her card to the reader rather than placing the card into the reader. This is one way to avoid the skimmer if it is attached to the reader; however, criminals have now found a new way to get the consumer back to the card reader: criminals place tape or a sticker that at times resembles the legitimate contactless payment symbol over the tap-to-pay reader. 

Consumers would go to the pump, for example, and attempt to tap their card or wallet card on their smartphone, and it doesn’t work. The criminal’s hope is this will force consumers to use their physical credit/debit card with the card reader attached to the pump where, unbeknownst to the consumer, a skimmer has been attached.

The best thing to do if this occurs is to go inside the station, or inside the bank, if possible.