Identity & Access Scams
Identity Theft
Occurs when someone uses your personal information - such as your Social Security number, credit card number, or bank account details - without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes.
Phishing & Smishing Scams
Phishing involves deceptive emails, while smishing uses fraudulent text messages to trick you into revealing personal information or clicking on malicious links.
AI-Powered Impersonation Scams
Scammers use deepfake audio or AI-generated voices to convincingly pose as trusted individuals - often family members or financial professionals - in order to gain access to your accounts or trick you into sending money.
Impersonation Scams
Criminals pretend to be trusted entities like your credit union, government agencies, or service providers to gain access to your accounts or money.
Business Email Compromise Scams
Hackers infiltrate legitimate business email systems to impersonate executives or vendors and redirect funds through fraudulent invoices or instructions.
Fake Websites
Cybercriminals create sites that mimic real companies to trick you into entering login credentials or payment information.
QR Code Scams
You're tricked into scanning a malicious QR code that directs you to a fraudulent site designed to steal your personal or financial information.
Financial & Payment Scams
Card-Not-Present (CNP) Fraud
Occurs when fraudsters use stolen card information to make online or phone purchases without the physical card being present.
Check Theft & Mail Fraud
Criminals steal checks from mailboxes, alter them, and attempt to cash them under false pretenses - targeting both individuals and businesses.
Overpayment Scams
The scammer sends a fake check for more than the purchase price and asks you to refund the difference - once the check bounces, you lose your money.
Check Cashing
You're asked to cash a check for someone and send back a portion of the funds - only to discover the check is fake and you're responsible for the loss.
Payment Scams
You're asked to make a payment - often via gift cards, wire transfers, or payment apps - with the promise of a reward or reimbursement that never comes.
Mortgage Closing
During the home-buying process, you receive fake wiring instructions from a spoofed title company or lender, redirecting your down payment to a scammer's account.
Social & Emotional Scams
Emergency Scams
Scammers pose as a friend or relative in urgent need - often claiming an accident, arrest, or medical emergency - to pressure you into sending money quickly.
Grandparent Scam
A scammer poses as your grandchild in distress - often crying or whispering - asking you not to tell their parents and to send money right away.
Romance Scam
Scammers build fake online relationships to gain trust and eventually ask for money, often claiming a personal or medical emergency.
Puppy Scam
Scammers advertise non-existent pets for sale online, request payment and shipping fees, then vanish without delivering the animal.
Charity Scams
Fake charities use emotional appeals or disasters to trick you into donating to causes that don't exist.
Investment & Opportunity Scams
Investment Scams
You're offered a "guaranteed" return on a no-risk investment that turns out to be fake - often in cryptocurrency, real estate, or startup schemes.
Lottery Scams
You're told you've won a prize or lottery you never entered, but you must pay taxes or fees before collecting the (nonexistent) winnings.
Debt Relief
Fraudulent companies promise to erase your debt or improve your credit - for a fee - without delivering real help.
Employment Scams
Fraudulent job listings offer high pay or flexible work but require you to provide sensitive personal information or pay for training or materials.
Fake Rental
Scammers list properties they don't own, collect deposits or rent up front, and then disappear - often targeting out-of-town renters or urgent movers.
Online Merchant/Marketplace Scams
Fraudsters post fake listings for products or services on websites or social media, often asking for payment up front and never delivering the goods.
FTC & IRS Scams
Scammers claim to be from the IRS, FTC, or another agency, threatening arrest or fines unless you pay immediately - usually by gift card or wire transfer.
Tech Support Scams
A scammer pretends to be a tech support agent, claiming there is an issue with your computer and urging you to grant remote access or pay for fake services.
Reporting Scams
Spotted a scam or worried you've been made a victim?
- Contact us at 256-383-9204 or by visiting our support page.
- Report the incident through the suspicious activity form.
- Report the scam to the BBB Scam Tracker and the government via the FTC Report Fraud site. You may also want to report scammers directly to the FBI.
