Computing Doctor LLC

Protect yourself—and your money—from these new scams
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Protect yourself by staying informed about the latest scam tactics so you can keep your personal information and your money safe. Do you know how to spot these common scams?

Lawyer impersonation
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Scammers may pose as lawyers, often targeting vulnerable populations, to steal money or sensitive information. These scams can involve fraudulent representation in legal matters, or even impersonation of government officials.

Beware of urgency
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Legitimate lawyers or government officials won’t pressure you over the phone or via email for urgent payments or private info. You can always verify a lawyer’s identity and credentials by looking them up via the state bar association website.

Celebrity relationship scam
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Scammers create fake online profiles pretending to be a celebrity looking for companionship. They usually reach out via social media to spark conversation and may use AI-generated audio and video calls to appear legitimate. These scammers then take advantage of the trusting relationship to request money, often in the form of peer-to- peer payments, gift cards or wire transfers.

Never send money to someone you’ve never met face to face.
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No legitimate celebrity will ask you for money—or gift cards—via your direct messages. Even verified accounts can be hacked, so stay cautious.

Business email compromise
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Scammers will send an email pretending to be from a vendor requesting you to send money to a different account. The email looks genuine, but it could be from a fraudster who got access to your vendor’s network.

Pause before you pay.
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Always confirm payment or account changes with your contact through a verified telephone number or known channel.

While scams can take many different forms, staying vigilant with these tips could help:
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Tip 1: Verify all phone calls, texts and emails before sharing personal or financial information.

Tip 2: Beware of fraudulent investment opportunities—if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Tip 3: Don’t be pressured to pay with gift cards.

If you’ve been impacted by a scam, learn how you can create a personal recovery plan with the Better Business Bureau Scam Survival Toolkit.

Alert: Fraudsters are targeting investors over social media.

In a sophisticated scam, fraudsters are using social media and other channels to lure investors into “pump-and-dump” schemes. Their goal is to create a buying frenzy using false and misleading information that artificially inflates, or “pumps” up, the price of a stock. Once the price has surged, the fraudsters quickly “dump” their shares by selling them at the inflated value.

In these schemes, the stock eventually crashes, leaving unsuspecting investors who purchased at the higher price holding devalued shares—often leading to significant financial losses. We want to make sure you can recognize the signs so that you can protect yourself and your assets.

Here's how this pump-and-dump scheme works.

Fraudsters create fake social media profiles of celebrities, bank professionals, and other financial experts to gain credibility. They may also use social messaging apps like WhatsApp, X (formerly Twitter), and Telegram, as well as lower-tech methods like text messages and phone calls. The fraudsters then lure potential investors into private investment groups where they are pressured into investing in specific securities at set times to inflate the price of these securities.

Protect yourself by becoming familiar with the tactics and warning signs.

• Get-rich-quick offers. Professionals will never ask you to invest in specific stocks over social media or invite you to exclusive investor groups. If you receive unexpected messages urging you to invest in specific stocks through exclusive private groups, these are scams.

• Stock purchase manipulation. Fraudsters may try to guide you step by step, asking you to buy specific stocks and invest specific amounts. Never follow investment directions from someone you don’t personally know.

• Manipulative tactics and coaching. To avoid detection, fraudsters may manipulate you into initiating trades or transactions yourself. They may even provide scripts with instructions on what to say if questioned. If anyone tries to coach you into saying or doing specific things, it’s a red flag.

Keep your assets safe!
If you receive a suspicious direct message, call, or text, please call your bank and do not interact. We also recommend that you report any suspicious or fraudulent activity to the social media platform directly.

Can you spot a scam?

Debt consolidation scam
Scammers may pose as legitimate companies promising to help consolidate debts but instead exploit victims with deceptive practices. This could include receiving false promises or getting charged with excessive fees, ultimately worsening the person’s financial situation.
Always verify the legitimacy of the company. Check for reviews, complaints and ratings from reputable sources like consumer protection agencies and the BBB Scam Tracker. Also, be cautious of unsolicited calls and unrealistic promises.

Online shopping scam
Websites and social media ads can deceive consumers with eye-catching sales but fail to deliver the promised goods or deliver counterfeit products. This type of scam can also involve fake checkout processes, which can result in financial loss or identity theft for the buyer.
Beware of unrealistic deals that sound too good to be true, especially when found on lesser-known or new sites. Shop at reputable online retailers with a history of secure transactions, positive customer reviews and fair return policies.

Tech support scam
Pop-up messages, cold calls or emails are tactics used by scammers posing as legitimate tech support. Their goal is to deceive users into believing their computer has issues or has been hacked into, which can lead to victims providing control of their device and disclosing personal information.
Be cautious of unsolicited contact—if called unexpectedly, hang up and call the company directly on a verified phone number. Avoid clicking on suspicious messages and don’t grant remote access to your device.

Get tips on avoiding scams, fraud and much more with a free, self-paced online course made possible through KHAN ACADEMY®.
https://www.khanacademy.org/college-careers-more/financial-literacy/xa6995ea67a8e9fdd:scams-fraud

Also check out possible scams and to report scams with the BBB Scam Tracker!
https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker

www.bbb.org

Here’s what the latest scams look like:

Pay yourself
Scammers may contact you impersonating an established individual or company and tell you that they have noticed suspicious activity, such as money being sent from your account to another account. They’ll ask you to send money to yourself using your mobile banking app, or via an online wire transfer to “reverse” the payment.

Tip: An established individual or company will never ask you to do this. Before sending money to yourself at another bank or credit union, make sure the email address or U.S. mobile number you’re using to send the money has been enrolled by you at the other financial institution and is linked to your account.

Impersonating bank associates
Scammers will try to pose as an employee from your or a well known bank and ask you to provide your personal information or even transfer money by phone, text or email. They might also use a fake caller ID that could show up as the bank or request remote access to your device.

Tip: When in doubt, hang up the phone and call the number listed on the back of your debit or credit card. You can also call the number listed on your bank statements.

Utility scam
Scammers can pretend to be utility workers from electric companies or cell service providers to trick people into sending them money. Usually they’ll contact you and put you in a high-pressure situation, such as claiming your electric bill payment is late and your power will be turned off if you don’t send money immediately.

Tip: Utility providers won’t pressure you into making a last-second payment or paying through an online payment service. You’ll receive initial notices through letters or emails before the situation gets serious. They should also provide you options, like paying with a credit card or mailing a check. Call your utility provider directly before paying a bill over the phone.

Attempting to gain remote access to your devices
Scammers may call you pretending to be support specialists from well-known companies like Microsoft or Amazon. They’ll try to gain remote access claiming they can fix an issue with your account, process a refund or update your device. If you provide access either by clicking a link or downloading an app, you could expose your account information.

Tip: Support specialists will never cold call you. Even if it looks like a trustworthy number, never give access to someone who cold calls you or asks you to download an unknown app. If you need support, call the company directly with a reliable number.

Protect yourself and your family.
Remember, Zelle® does not offer a protection program for authorized payments—for example, if you buy an item with Zelle®, but you don’t receive it or it’s not what you expected. If this happens, you may not get your money back, so only use Zelle® and third-party payment apps to pay those you know and trust. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more and as these scam techniques evolve.

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