Skip to content

Scams Target Everyone: How to Protect Yourself from Fraud

You Got Scammed

Young or old, rich or poor…it doesn’t matter. Read their stories.

If need you to walk away with one thought from this article…and it’s right in the title. Scams target everyone. No one is immune:

Smart people fall for scams all the time.
Every day another business person falls vicim to fraud.
Con artists can even fool tech-savvy people.

Yet, most people think they’re immune. Do you?

The future will tell.

You see, scammers follow a tried-and-true formula for finding scam targets and turning them into victims…victims who lose more than just money.


Fun. Informative. Free.

Learn how to spot fraud and avoid becoming a victim. Brought to you by the Easy Prey podcast. Get this free ebook today.


True Tales of Twisted Scams

Here are some true accounts of scams…each one likely represents thousands of others who have been fooled by the same type of scam.

Love gone wrong.  A young man starts a friendship with a girl, a stranger, who contacts him on Facebook. The girl is in the military and overseas. The two begin communicating and they develop a strong bond. The girl asks her new boyfriend for several iTunes cards, saying how much that gift would mean to her. You know what’s next.

The man mails the gift cards and his girl is very happy. Then, she tells the young man that she’ll come to him when she leaves the military, so they can get married. That’s her plan, at least.

However, that suddenly changes when the girl tells announces she must stay in the Army on “special duties.” That’s going to delay her visit. It gets even stranger. Soon after, she claims, is arrested in an African country, and that some gold she owned seized by the government. She asks her boyfriend for $4,000 to get out of jail. His friend tries to warn him that it could be a scam, but he’s in love and sends her the $4,000.

Investing in lies.  An investor gets a phone call from online trader who claims to be an expert in cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, etc.) and forex (Foreign Exchange) among other things. He offers a sophisticated trading platform and higher, guaranteed returns. The investor, eager to make money, gives it a go. All seems to go well for the investor after an initial investment of a few thousand dollars. The broker encourages the investor to put more money it this “gold mine,” telling him to “”invest more to make more.” However, when the investor wanted to take out some of his earnings, everything hit a bump. He’s told he would have to pay taxes first, which he doesn’t do. Suddenly, his investment hot streak with the brokers vanishes and he starts to lose money. His broker says he can fix that by investing more. Soon, the investor realizes it’s all a fraud.

A taxing time. An elderly woman receives a phone call from “a representative of the IRS.” As you guessed, he’s not real. The fake representative shocks the woman with news that she owes $4,000 in back taxes. That’s not all. Next, he threatens legal action, and even arrest, unless she fixes things fast. The fake agents says the police may even be on their way to arrest her if she doesn’t act now.

The frightened woman has fears of going to jail. The caller advises her to go buy a few thousands of dollars of gift cards right away and email the card numbers. The woman follows their directions, but it’s still not good enough. The “IRS” calls back demanding more gift cards. Finally and fortunately, the elderly woman decides it’s time to call someone in her family for advice. They have to tell you that the IRS was never the one calling in the first place.

It happens all the time.

These are just three scams—investing, romance, tax—that steal money from thousands of people every day. It doesn’t matter how smart you are (or think you are), there’s a scam out their waiting for you. If the scammer is on his game, and you’re not, you could be the victim – even a pet scam victim, however impossible it sounds.

By why is it that these scams work in the first place?

How a Scam Works

Scams, live victims, come in all shapes and form, as you read in the three stories above. However different they may be, scams—at least scams that turn targets into victims—follow a tried-and-true process.

To read about how a scam works, featuring a fun and colorful infographic on the five steps of a scam, see our exclusive article on EasyPrey.com. Chris Parker, the CEO of WhatIsMyIPAddress.com, also runs Easyprey.com.

Chris Parker also hosts the Easy Prey podcast. He interviews guest experts that talk about all the dangers we face online and the real world, and how to stay safer. You can see and hear all the podcast episodes here.

Related Articles

All
  • All
  • Easy Prey Podcast
  • General Tech Topics, News & Emerging Trends
  • Home Computing to Boost Online Performance & Security
  • IP Addresses
  • Networking Basics: Learn How Networks Work
  • Online Privacy Topics to Stay Safe in a Risky World
  • Online Safety
  • Uncategorized
Danny Funt talks about online sports betting and the dangers of the industry.

Online Sports Betting: Harmless Fun or Exploiting Fans?

You’ve almost certainly seen the ads somewhere. Make money from being a sports fan! Bet just a…

[Read More]
Mike Blumenthal talks about fake businesses on Google Maps - why they happen and how to avoid them.

Fake Businesses on Google Maps May Lead You Into a Scam

Imagine this: You’re coming home late one night, exhausted and ready to fall into bed, and as…

[Read More]
What Are Chatbots?

What is a Chatbot? Here are Some Basic Facts and Views.

Still, it’s clear that once explored and used, ordinary people discover how extremely useful, powerful, and different...

[Read More]
Using a VPN

Why Using a VPN is More Important Than Ever When You’re Online

The VPN does one thing primarily and does it well. The main trick a VPN does when...

[Read More]
Simple. Secure. Sign in. ID.me

What is ID.me? One Day, You Might Need to Know.

If a friend asked you, what is ID.me, would you be able to answer? You really should,...

[Read More]
Jay Jones talks about job opportunity scams.

Job Opportunity Scams: Beware If You’re Looking for Work!

Getting a message from a recruiter when you’re looking for work seems like a good thing. But…

[Read More]