Top 10 Most Common Scams of 2024 – So Far

As we navigate through 2024, scammers continue to refine their methods, exploiting new technologies and societal changes to trick unsuspecting individuals. Understanding these evolving threats is essential for protecting your personal and financial information. This article outlines the most prevalent scams of 2024 so far, providing detailed insights and practical tips to help you stay secure.

Phishing Emails

What is a Phishing Email?

• Phishing emails are crafted to appear as if they’re from legitimate sources, tricking recipients into providing sensitive information or accessing malicious websites. To learn more about phishing emails, click here.

How to Stay Safe from Phishing Emails?

• Always verify the sender’s credentials and avoid clicking links or downloading attachments from unfamiliar emails. Use email filters and security software to detect potential threats.

Investment Scams

What is an Investment Scam?

• These scams promise unrealistic returns, often involving complex or fictitious investment opportunities to entice victims. Investment scams are constantly evolving, for example, here is an AI investment scam that has been around recently.

How to Stay Safe from Investment Scams?

• Conduct independent research and consult with licensed financial advisors before making any investment decisions.

Tech Support Scams

What is a Tech Support Scam?

• Fraudsters claim to detect issues with your computer or software and offer to fix them for a fee or by gaining remote access to your system.

How to Stay Safe from Tech Support Scams?

• Disregard unsolicited tech support offers and confirm any potential issues directly with the service provider using official contact information. There are common signs to a tech support scam, click here to review them.

Romance Scams

What is a Romance Scam?

• Scammers create fake profiles on dating platforms to form emotional connections, then exploit these relationships for financial gain.

How to Stay Safe from Romance Scams?

• Be cautious in online relationships, especially those that progress quickly or involve requests for money. Click here for more information and tips on how to avoid romance scams.

Government Impersonation Scams

What is a Government Impersonation Scam?

• These involve scammers posing as government officials to solicit personal information or immediate payment for supposed legal issues or unpaid taxes.

How to Stay Safe from Government Impersonation Scams?

• Know that legitimate government entities will never demand instant payments or personal details over the phone or via email. Fake IRS scams are never going away, click here to review the new strategies scammers are using to trick individuals into falling victim to fake IRS scams.

Job Offer Scams

What is a Job Offer Scam?

• Offers of employment that require personal information or payment from the job seeker to secure a position that doesn’t exist.

How to Stay Safe from Job Offer Scams?

• Verify all job offers through official company channels and be skeptical of any that ask for money upfront. Job scams and task scams are quite similar, but do you know why job scams are different? Click here to find out.

Fake Charity Scams

What is a Fake Charity Scam?

• Scammers impersonate genuine charities or create fictitious ones, especially following disasters, to steal donations.

How to Stay Safe from Fake Charity Scams?

• Always check a charity’s credentials through established charity watchdog organizations before donating. Charity scams and disaster relief scams are quite similar, click here to know more about both.

Health Insurance Scams

What is a Health Insurance Scam?

• Fraudulent offers for health insurance plans that are either nonexistent or do not provide the advertised benefits.

How to Stay Safe from Health Insurance Scams?

• Only purchase insurance through licensed providers and verify their legitimacy with regulatory agencies. Click here to review the best ways to avoid falling victim to a health insurance scam.

Grandparent Scams

What is a Grandparent Scam?

• Fraudsters pretend to be a family member in distress, often a grandchild, to convince elderly victims to send money quickly.

How to Stay Safe from Grandparent Scams?

• Always confirm the family member’s situation by calling them back through a known and trusted number before acting on their requests. To learn more about grandparent scams and to help educate your family members, click here.

Text Message Scams (Smishing)

What is a Text Message Scam (Smishing)?

• Deceptive messages sent to coerce personal information or financial details from the recipient.

How to Stay Safe from Text Message Scams?

• Ignore unsolicited requests sent via text message and verify any potentially legitimate claims through official means. Smishing scams come in many different forms. Click here to review phishing scams so you can stay aware of what they might look like. 

The Top 10 Most Common Scams of 2024

Staying informed about these common scams in 2024 is your best defense against becoming a victim. By recognizing the signs and understanding how to respond effectively, you can protect yourself and your loved ones from these deceptive tactics.

In 2024, Warded Isn’t Going Anywhere — We’re Here to Protect!

Enhance your defenses by learning more about how to recognize and prevent scams. Visit our resources tab for comprehensive guides and updates. Learn more here.