{"id":9381,"date":"2023-09-09T17:00:13","date_gmt":"2023-09-09T17:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prosfunds.com\/finance\/opinion-how-to-stop-text-and-email-scammers-from-stealing-your-money\/"},"modified":"2023-09-09T17:00:14","modified_gmt":"2023-09-09T17:00:14","slug":"opinion-how-to-stop-text-and-email-scammers-from-stealing-your-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prosfunds.com\/?p=9381","title":{"rendered":"Opinion: How to stop text and email scammers from stealing your money"},"content":{"rendered":"
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You\u2019ve likely received a text message from an unknown sender who claims to have been texting someone else, but communicates with you after you respond. Others start with an innocent \u201cHi,\u201d or \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d Once a conversation gets going, they may send a photo of themselves (they are almost always beautiful). <\/p>\n

Most often, these are scammers looking to take whatever they can from you. Their goal is to build a relationship with you and then coax you into giving them money and personal financial information. But before talking about money, they dangle the possibility of a long and lucrative romance. Indeed, they act as if they don\u2019t need money and claim they really want to help you make money.<\/p>\n

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Another common ploy is for scammers to contact you by phone or email, pretending to be from the IRS, your bank, a retail store, a phone or cable company, or a credit card provider. <\/p>\n

Sometimes these scammers are not after your financial accounts but something even worse, such as identify theft or blackmail. For that, they will need videos and photographs of you, and as much personal information as you are willing to provide.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Red flags<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Some of you might shake your head at how anyone can fall for these schemes. But billions of dollars are lost to scammers every year. <\/p>\n

So even if you\u2019re convinced you\u2019re immune from becoming a victim, be aware of the red flags, because anyone can be a target. <\/p>\n

The first warning is when these men or women with beautiful photos and amazing cars appear out of nowhere. A big red flag is their phone number. Most of the time, they have a virtual number that is untraceable. You may notice that the country code or area code doesn\u2019t match where they say they\u2019re from. <\/p>\n

What you want to do is call the scammer on your phone. It\u2019s almost guaranteed you won\u2019t reach them (some of the clever ones will talk to you, but only for a minute or so, long enough to convince you they are real). If you can\u2019t reach the person by phone, end the conversation and consider yourself lucky.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Another red flag is that after a day or two of chit-chat they start to talk about money, usually involving cryptocurrencies. They tell you about how much money they\u2019ve made, and that you could make it, too. They are sweet and romantic and make wonderful financial promises.\u00a0They may request screen shots of your brokerage account or ask you to download a link to their broker.\u00a0Never believe anyone boasting of the riches they made and how they will share it with you. If it seems too good to be true, it is.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Another common ploy for scammers is to switch from the online platform you are on (such as WhatsApp or a text program) and move the conversation to their own online text platform, one you never heard about or have to download. They may also switch phone numbers, too. Don\u2019t go along with this. Don\u2019t download new programs and if you must communicate, stay on known platforms such as WhatsApp.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Scammers will attempt to create a sense of urgency, telling you if you don\u2019t act now you will miss out on the financial opportunity of a lifetime. Or they may claim to need money for a travel emergency, or someone in their family has died, or they were robbed. Don\u2019t believe any of it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The antidote<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It goes without saying, don\u2019t trust anyone online and always verify what they write to you. These scammers want to get your money fast. They will do almost anything to convince you to send cash or crypto. Refuse to send money and never invest with strangers.\u00a0And absolutely never mix a potential romance with money.<\/p>\n

Understand that as soon as you say \u201cno\u201d to any of their requests (i.e., refuse to send a video of yourself, or refuse to download their brokerage program), their behavior may change from sweet to mean. They may call you rude names, accuse you of being a liar, or attempt to bully you into doing what they ask.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They lured you in with flattery and lies, which ends the minute you don\u2019t believe them anymore. Of course, a real romantic partner wouldn\u2019t discuss finances with you online.\u00a0Again, if an online stranger brings up a financial arrangement of any kind, block them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Be smart<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The smartest way to respond to scammers who try to contact you is to ignore them. Don\u2019t respond to their texts, phone calls or emails. If you do get involved with a believable online stranger, maybe by some miracle it\u2019s the real deal. The only way to know is to meet them in person (in a public place). In real life, a scammer will almost never meet you, or can\u2019t because they live far away.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even after all this, if you are still concerned that you are vulnerable to an online romance or sketchy financial arrangement, consider freezing your credit report on the three main credit bureaus (Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian). This is one of the best ways to stop identity theft and keep your credit files from scammers, and it\u2019s a free service.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you need help<\/strong><\/h2>\n