How the cons actually work, and the small habits that stop them. No fear-mongering, no shame if you’ve been caught.
A website asks you to prove you're human by pressing a few keys and pasting something. Don't. Real robot checks only ever want a click or a drag.
Dozens of login codes, or hundreds of signup emails at once? That's not a glitch. It's noise, and someone is hoping you'll tune it out.
Posted "looking for tickets!" and suddenly strangers are sliding into your messages? Here's why that's a dinner bell for scammers, and how to buy safely.
A stranger offers you cash if you'll pay for their gas with your card. It sounds like a harmless favor. You're actually being used as a human ATM.
A friendly stranger says they reported your account by mistake and knows just who can fix it. There's nothing to fix. They made the problem up.
A buyer "accidentally" pays you too much and asks you to send back the difference. It's an oldie but goodie, and you end up losing three times over.
The day after a crash, someone calls who knows everything about it and already has a doctor and a lawyer lined up for you. They sound helpful. They're selling something.
You lost money to a scam. Now someone says they can get it back, for a small fee up front. That's the second scam. Here's how recovery scams target people who've already been hurt.
"You're owed money from a class action settlement." "A product you bought has been recalled." Some are real. The fake ones all share one giveaway: they want something from you first.
Your screen suddenly fills with flashing warnings, a blaring alarm, and a phone number to call "Microsoft Support." Your computer is fine. The pop-up is the scam.
