Latest Articles
Stay informed with the most recent scam alerts and protection tips
How to Set Up a Safe Home Computer for Seniors: Settings, Backups & Malware Protection
Password Managers vs. Browser Passwords: Which Is Safer for Seniors and Busy People?
Two-Factor Authentication: SMS, Authenticator Apps & Hardware Keys
Privacy Audit Template: How to Check Your Social Profiles and Reduce Personal Data Used by Scammers
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Explore articles organized by scam type and safety topics
Common Types of Scams
Learn to recognize the most prevalent scams targeting individuals online. Knowledge is your first line of defense.
Fraudulent emails or messages designed to steal your personal information, passwords, or financial details by impersonating legitimate organizations.
Unsolicited calls from scammers pretending to be from government agencies, tech support, or financial institutions to extract money or information.
Scams involving fake payment requests, counterfeit checks, or fraudulent online transactions that result in financial loss.
Criminals stealing your personal information to open accounts, make purchases, or commit crimes in your name.
Fraudulent investment opportunities promising unrealistic returns, including cryptocurrency scams and Ponzi schemes.
Fake websites or sellers that take your money but never deliver products, or sell counterfeit goods.
How to Protect Yourself
Follow these essential tips to stay safe from scams and protect your personal information online.
Verify Before You Trust
Always verify the identity of people or organizations contacting you. Call back using official phone numbers, not the ones provided in suspicious messages.
Protect Your Information
Never share passwords, social security numbers, or financial information via email, text, or phone unless you initiated the contact.
Be Skeptical of Urgency
Scammers create false urgency to pressure you into acting quickly. Take your time to verify any urgent requests or offers.
Use Strong Security
Enable two-factor authentication, use unique passwords for each account, and keep your software updated to protect against threats.
Senior Safety
Beginner’s Guide to Email Safety for Seniors: Spot Phishing, Dangerous Attachments & Links
Simple steps for seniors to spot phishing emails, unsafe attachments, and malicious links — plus reporting, recovery steps, and safety tips.
How to Set Up a Safe Home Computer for Seniors: Settings, Backups & Malware Protection
Guide to secure a senior's home computer: enable updates, use non-admin accounts, schedule backups (Time Machine/File History) and block malware safely.
Financial & Investment Scams
Disaster Relief Scams: How to Verify Charities After Major Events
Avoid disaster-relief scams. Follow this checklist, trusted tools, and reporting steps to verify charities, spot QR/crypto fraud, and make secure donations today.
Sweepstakes and Prize Scams: 9 Payment Requests That Mean “It's a Scam”
Discover 9 payment requests that signal sweepstakes or charity scams — from gift cards to crypto — plus verification and reporting steps.
Romance & Relationship Scams
Dating Deepfakes: How Scammers Use AI Photos to Build Trust and Ask for Money
How scammers use AI-generated dating photos to build trust, extract money, and how to verify profiles, spot red flags, and report abuse.
Step-by-Step: What to Do When an Online Partner Asks for Money
Step-by-step recovery if an online partner asks for money: stop contact, save evidence, notify your bank, and report to platform and IC3/FTC. Act fast.
Phone, SMS & Voice Scams
Why Robocalls Keep Getting Worse — Spoofing, Call Farms, and What You Can Do Right Now
Robocalls are rising despite new rules. Learn how spoofing, call farms and AI voices fuel scams — and 10 practical steps to block, report and protect your phone.
Smishing Attacks: Text Message Scams and How to Block Them
Real smishing examples and concise, step-by-step phone settings to block and report scam texts, plus quick tips to protect your accounts from SMS phishing.
Support & Remote Access Scams
How Tech Support Scams Hijack Legitimate Websites — 6 Signs to Spot Fake Support Numbers
Learn how scammers inject fake support numbers into real sites, 6 red flags to spot them, and immediate steps to verify, report, and recover from tech-support scams.
Anatomy of a Remote Access Scam: From 'Call Us' Pop-ups to RAT Installation (Step-by-Step)
Step-by-step guide to tech-support remote-access scams: how pop-ups, phishing, and coerced installs lead to RATs, data theft, and fast recovery steps.
Emerging & AI-Enabled Scams
Vendor‑Invoice Scams Using AI Voices and Deepfakes: The New Face of BEC
AI-driven BEC uses voice cloning and deepfakes to fake vendor invoices and force urgent wires. Learn red flags, verification steps, and how to report quickly.
Deepfake Phone Calls and AI Voices: How Scammers Use Synthetic Media to Steal Identities
Learn how scammers use deepfake phone calls and AI voices to impersonate others, plus practical detection tips and steps to report and recover from attacks.