![circle pay app protect identity circle pay app protect identity](https://www.trustonic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/KB-Bank-Mobile-Banking-Authentication.png)
These are far more targeted than the scams listed above, because they’re targeted and often rely upon specific information about you and your family. In the U.S., the IRS and other government agencies will never reach out to you in this way or ask you for your personal information. Likewise, they won’t demand payment via wire transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency like bitcoin. Only scammers will.
![circle pay app protect identity circle pay app protect identity](https://images.ctfassets.net/9ijwdiuuvngh/7gNcyNR7nrcbLGkHgXzLHb/caa40141d385214ed92485bb99cb1419/4-3___iOS-App_Files-Protection_EN-04.png)
These scammers will use social media messaging (and other mediums like emails, texts, and phone calls) to pose as an official that’s either demanding back taxes or offering a refund or credit-all of which are bogus and all of which involve you handing over your personal info, money, or both.
![circle pay app protect identity circle pay app protect identity](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2D7NRX9/secure-payment-isometric-concept-mobile-online-security-cash-payments-smartphone-banking-protection-app-landing-vector-page-smartphone-payment-cash-app-isometric-illustration-2D7NRX9.jpg)
If there’s one government official that scammers like use to put a scare in you, it’s the tax collector.
CIRCLE PAY APP PROTECT IDENTITY PLUS
A good trick is to do a search of the organization’s name plus the term “scam” or “review” or “complaint” to see if anything sketchy comes up.
CIRCLE PAY APP PROTECT IDENTITY HOW TO
How to avoid them: Research any offer, business opportunity, or organization that reaches out to you. Many of these scams simply made the jump from email to social media platforms. If this sounds familiar, like those old emails about transferring funds for a prince in some faraway nation, it is. What they all have in common is that they’re run by scammers who want your information, money or both. These include posts and direct messages about phony relief funds, grants, and giveaways-along with bogus business opportunities that run the gamut from thinly-veiled pyramid schemes and gifting circles to mystery shopper jobs. Bogus benefits and get-rich-quick schemes How to avoid them: Simply put, don’t take those quizzes and surveys online. Meanwhile, that scammer now has some choice pieces of personal info that they can potentially use against you.
![circle pay app protect identity circle pay app protect identity](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d8/be/fe/d8befe10bd3d62d7ea2f824da85fd40c--free-android-android-apps.jpg)
All you have to do is fork over your personal info. Similarly, scammers will also post surveys with the offer of a gift card to a popular retailer. (Like, what was the model of your first car?) With this info in hand, a hacker could attempt to gain access to your accounts. “What’s your spooky Halloween name?” or “What’s your professional wrestler name?” You’ve probably seen a few of those and similar quizzes in your feed where you use the street you grew up on, your birthdate, your favorite song, and maybe the name of a beloved first pet to cook up a silly name or some other result. Of course, these are pieces of personal information, sometimes the answer to commonly used security questions by banks and other financial institutions. A quick look at some common social media scams Quizzes and surveys Let’s uncover these scams these crooks use so that you can steer clear and stay safe. Just as we discussed in our recent blog, “ Can thieves steal identities with only a name and address? ” these bits of information are important pieces in the larger jigsaw puzzle that is your overall identity. Federal Trade Commission (FTC).Īmong these losses are cases of identity theft, where criminals use social media to gather personal information and build profiles of potential victims they can target. But reported losses hit $117 million in just the first six months of 2020, according to the U.S. This has been the case for years, yet now social media-based crime is on the rise. In 2019, total reported losses to this type of fraud reached $134 million. Where people go, hackers are sure to follow. So it’s no surprise hackers have set up shop on social media. The person holding the answers may be a hacker. Before you take the fun-looking quiz that popped up in your social media feed, think twice.