Scams & Fraud
如何识别骗局
在当今的数字社会，防范诈骗和欺诈行为日益重要。诈骗手段多种多样，例如发送未经请求的电子邮件、访问虚假网站以及拨打陌生人冒充信誉良好的机构的电话。诈骗分子会使用各种伎俩来欺骗人们，窃取金钱或个人 信息。为了保持警惕，公众应了解最常见的诈骗和欺诈类型。以下是一些保护您和家人信息安全的实用建议。
如何识别骗局
在诈骗手段日益高明的时代，辨别欺诈手段与合法沟通并非易事。然而，有一些迹象可以帮助您识别骗局。熟悉这些警示信号，就能保护自己免受诈骗侵害。以下是一些帮助您识别骗局的实用技巧：
未经请求的信息
对于任何你未曾预料或主动发送的信息，务必保持警惕。诈骗分子经常使用未经请求的电子邮件、短信和电话来联系潜在受害者。
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Types of Scams
If you, or someone you know, has been a victim of an online scam, please report the activity to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Internet Crime Complaint Center or your local police department.
Romance Scams
These scams specifically target people who are looking for love and/or companionship. Scammers behind these schemes will create elaborate fake identities, use fake pictures and acquire personal information to gain the trust of their victims. They may spend weeks or even months building a relationship with their victim before asking for large amounts of money. Often claiming they need funds for a medical emergency, to travel to meet the victim in person, or to purchase gifts. Once they have gained the victim's trust and convinced them to part with their money, schemers will typically ask for wire transfers, often exceeding $100k or more. In most recent cases, some victims lost up to $400k or more over a few months.
Lottery Scams
Scammers use a clever trick of printing last week's winning lottery number on a current ticket, making it appear to be a winning ticket. Then they will approach strangers and request a "deposit" for the winning ticket. These scams frequently target low-income individuals, and the scammers will pose as undocumented individuals who cannot submit the winning tickets due to their immigration status. Though these scams may net smaller amounts, this can impact lower income communities greatly. Remember to only buy lottery tickets from authorized retailers and never give away personal information or money to strangers.
Investment Scams
One of the most common approaches for investment scams is to offer high rates of return in a short timeframe, such as promising to double your money in “just 30 days”. These scams typically use fake investment websites that are designed to look legitimate and may even use actual phone numbers that are answered by real people. In some cases, victims have lost millions of dollars in a single transaction. To protect yourself from investment scams, it is essential to do your homework and thoroughly research any investment opportunity before investing your money.
Pay or Get Arrested
Some scammers will use “cold calls” and pretend to be law enforcement officials to threaten victims with arrest or legal action unless they pay a large fine. They may claim the victim has failed to show up for jury duty and use real names from public safety officials or "fake caller ID" numbers to make the scam seem legitimate. Remember legitimate law enforcement officials will never demand payment over the phone. Protect yourself by never giving out personal information or payment over the phone to someone you don't know and report the scam to the authorities immediately.
电子邮件和短信诈骗
诈骗分子可能会冒充 Gmail 或微软等信誉良好的公司发送电子邮件，发送重置密码的欺诈性请求，诱骗您提供密码或其他个人信息。虽然这些尝试看似合法，但实际上是非法发送不安全链接，企图获取您电子邮件、电脑或其他账户的访问权限。最常见的短信诈骗是犯罪分子冒充您的银行，发送虚假短信，声称有人试图从您的银行卡上消费 500 美元，并要求您验证交易和/或提供卡号。务必保持警惕，切勿向您不认识或不信任的人提供个人信息或金钱。记住，一定要核实发件人的身份，并对主动发送的信息保持警惕。
礼品卡诈骗
犯罪分子开始篡改商店货架上的礼品卡，他们会记下卡号并更换刮刮膜，使卡片看起来完好无损。这种伎俩使得犯罪分子能够在顾客购买后盗用卡内余额。另一种常见的礼品卡诈骗手段是发送未经请求的电子邮件或短信，声称可以用礼品卡换取个人信息或付款。这些看似合法的提议，实则是为了诱骗您提供敏感信息或金钱。因此，务必只从信誉良好的零售商处购买礼品卡，并在购买前仔细检查卡片。
Other Top Scams & Frauds
For a list of other scams and frauds to watch out for, visit the OC Sheriff webpage to learn more about:
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Social Security Phishing
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Tech Support
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Online Employment
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Taxes
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Utilities
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Online Item for Sale (Craigslist, Facebook marketplace)
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Warrant for your Arrest
