# Scams Are Getting Harder to Spot. Here’s How to Protect Yourself Before You Send Money Scams are becoming harder to spot, and the amount of money being lost to them continues to grow. According to the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report, Americans over the age of 60 reported approximately **$7.7 billion in losses** to internet crime last year. More than 201,000 complaints were filed by people 60 and older. This is not just a matter of people falling for obvious emails anymore. Scammers can make a phone call appear to come from a legitimate number. They can send text messages that look almost identical to messages from your bank. They can create fake websites, impersonate government agencies and even use artificial intelligence to copy someone's voice. The FBI received more than 22,000 complaints involving AI-related activity in 2025, with reported losses topping **$893 million**. That means knowing a few simple warning signs is more important than ever. ## The Biggest Warning Sign Is Urgency One of the easiest ways to identify a scam is to pay attention to how the person is making you feel. Scammers do not want you to have time to think. They may tell you: - Your bank account has been compromised. - Your Social Security number has been suspended. - You owe money to the government. - A family member has been arrested. - Your utilities are about to be shut off. - Someone has accessed your computer. Then comes the pressure. You have to send the money immediately. You cannot hang up. You cannot tell anyone else. You have to fix the problem before something worse happens. That pressure is intentional. The Federal Trade Commission warns that scammers commonly create a sense of urgency because they do not want victims to have enough time to verify what they are being told. If someone is pressuring you to make an immediate financial decision, **stop.** **Hang up the phone.** **Do not click the link.** **Do not send the money.** A real bank, government agency or legitimate company will give you time to verify what is happening. ## Never Trust the Phone Number on Your Screen Seeing the name of your bank on caller ID does not necessarily mean your bank is calling you. Scammers can manipulate caller ID information or use phone numbers that appear legitimate. If someone calls claiming to be from your bank and says there is a problem with your account, tell them you will call the bank back. Then hang up. Do not call a phone number the caller gives you. Instead: - Use the number printed on the back of your debit or credit card. - Visit the bank's official website yourself. - Open the bank's official mobile app. - Call a phone number you already know belongs to the bank. The same rule applies to the IRS, Social Security Administration, utility companies and other organizations. **Find the real number yourself.** ## Gift Cards Should Immediately Raise a Red Flag There are very few legitimate situations where someone should be asking you to purchase gift cards as a form of payment. If someone tells you to buy Apple, Google Play, Target or other gift cards and then give them the numbers from the back of the card, **do not do it.** The same goes for someone demanding payment through: - Cryptocurrency - Wire transfers - Gift cards - Certain payment apps - Cash deposits into unusual accounts These payment methods are popular with scammers because once the money is sent, getting it back can be extremely difficult. The FTC specifically warns consumers about unexpected demands for payment using gift cards, cryptocurrency, bank transfers, wire transfers and payment apps. A police officer is not going to ask you to pay a warrant using gift cards. The IRS is not going to ask you to send Bitcoin. Your bank is not going to ask you to move your savings into cryptocurrency to "protect" your money. If someone tells you otherwise, **stop the conversation.** ## Even a Familiar Voice May Not Be Enough Anymore One of the more concerning developments in fraud is AI voice cloning. A scammer may call pretending to be your child, grandchild or another family member. They may say they were involved in an accident, arrested or stranded somewhere and desperately need money. And the voice on the phone may actually sound like them. The FTC warns that scammers can use short clips of someone's voice, including audio posted online, to create a convincing imitation. If you receive one of these calls, do not rely on the voice alone. Instead: 1. Hang up. 2. Call your family member directly using the phone number you already have saved. 3. Call another relative and ask whether they know what is happening. 4. Ask a question only the real person would likely know. Families may even want to come up with a simple **family safety word** that can be used to verify someone's identity during an emergency. ## Your Bank Will Never Need Your Password Be extremely careful anytime someone asks for a: - Password - Verification code - PIN - Security answer - Full Social Security number If you receive a text saying there was suspicious activity on your bank account, do not automatically click the link in the message. Open your bank's app yourself or type the bank's website into your browser. If you are still concerned, call the bank directly. This takes an extra minute or two, but that extra minute could save you thousands of dollars. ## Talk to Someone Before Sending a Large Amount of Money One of the simplest protections against fraud does not involve technology at all. **Talk to someone you trust.** If someone suddenly asks you to send thousands of dollars, call a family member, friend or your bank before doing anything. Scammers will sometimes specifically tell victims not to discuss what is happening with anyone else. That should be an immediate warning sign. A second person looking at the situation without the same pressure or fear can often recognize something that does not make sense. ## Be Suspicious When Someone Wants Access to Your Computer Another common scam starts with a phone call, email or pop-up claiming something is wrong with your computer. The person may claim to work for: - Microsoft - Apple - Your internet provider - Your bank - A computer security company They then ask you to install software so they can remotely access your computer. **Do not give an unexpected caller remote access to your computer.** Once someone has remote access, they may be able to see your files, access financial information or convince you that your bank account has been compromised. If you believe there is actually a problem with your computer, contact the company directly or take the device to someone you trust. ## If You Think You Were Scammed, Act Quickly There is no benefit to being embarrassed or waiting to see what happens. Scams are designed by people who do this every day. Some operations involve large groups of criminals using carefully written scripts, fake websites, stolen information and increasingly sophisticated technology. If you sent money and believe it may have been a scam: 1. **Contact your bank immediately.** 2. Contact the company used to send the payment. 3. Ask whether the transaction can be stopped or reversed. 4. Change passwords on affected accounts. 5. Review your bank and credit card statements. 6. Watch for additional suspicious activity. In some situations, a transaction may still be stopped or reversed if action is taken quickly. Fraud can also be reported to the Federal Trade Commission at **ReportFraud.ftc.gov**. Oklahoma residents can also report suspected senior fraud through the **Oklahoma Attorney General's Consumer Protection Unit**. ## Remember These Five Rules You do not need to understand every new scam to protect yourself from most of them. Remember a few simple rules: 1. **Slow down when someone creates urgency.** 2. **Hang up and verify the story yourself.** 3. **Never send gift cards, cryptocurrency or wire transfers because an unexpected caller tells you to.** 4. **Never give someone a password or verification code.** 5. **Talk to someone you trust before sending a large amount of money.** Scams will continue to change. The basic strategy behind them usually does not. They want to scare you, excite you or pressure you enough that you act before you have time to think. Sometimes the best protection is simply giving yourself five minutes to stop and ask one question: > **“How do I know this person is actually who they say they are?”** That five minutes could protect years of savings.