Feds renew warnings as phone and email scams continue to rise

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

Scammers impersonating businesses or government agencies cost Americans almost $3 billion a year. While the narrative surrounding these scams often varies, the Federal Trade Commission is offering a fresh warning to consumers about some common traits that can make it easier to quickly detect a scammer.

Gema de las Heras, a consumer education specialist at the Federal Trade Commission, said every scam has key aspects.

“Scammers always contact you unexpectedly, and they’re asking you for money or personal information. They always create a source of a sense of urgency. They want to act fast so that you don’t have time to think about it or consult with someone else,” she said. “They’re often going to tell you to keep this a secret. They don’t want you to talk to your family or friends and tell them what’s going on and they will also tell you to pay them in a specific way.”

De las Heras said the federal agency needs help from the public to report scams even if officials don’t catch them. The commission has a list of answers to frequently asked questions available on its website.

That includes reporting things that seem fishy even if you’re not sure it’s a scam.

“If people spot a scam they can report it in English at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and then in Spanish, they can go to reportefraude.ftc.gov/ and if you speak other languages and prefer to file your report in your language and your preferred language, you can call the numbers 877-382-4357,” de las Heras said.

When people use credit cards, there is the ability to report fraud and stop payments. Because of that, scammers commonly ask for funds in forms like cryptocurrency, or gift cards. The FTC says some scammers are even getting so bold as to visit a victim’s home in person to pick up cash payments by impersonating a courier.

New imposter scams pop up all the time, often using nationally known brands like Amazon, Microsoft and Publishers Clearing House.

FTC officials say you can often uncover a scam by checking the email return address. Scam messages or phishing attempts usually don’t have the company’s correct email address attached.