One reason that scammers are so difficult to stop, security experts say, is that they keep raising their game. They’re continually perfecting their scams, taking advantage of tech innovations and honing their methods to better manipulate their targets.

“We keep coming up with different tools to combat scams and fraud, but it’s just like playing whack-a-mole,” says Better Business Bureau spokesman Josh Planos.

Scammers have become much more adept at impersonating legitimate institutions, including creating websites and messages that are “carbon copies” of legitimate health care providers, businesses and banks, with fewer grammatical mistakes and other red flags for scams, according to Planos.

And criminals are not only taking advantage of technological innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI), they’re also growing ever more adept at psychological manipulations — their “game of persuasion,” says Aaron Foss, former chief executive and founder of Nomorobo, a firm whose technology aims to thwart robocalls. Foss explains that today’s scammers in overseas call centers, for example, are often trained to minimize their accents and coached on ways to connect emotionally with their targets.

Here are six of the scams that experts say you should be watching out for this year.

1. Check cooking scam

Last year, the big thing was check washing, where thieves stole paper checks from postal boxes, mailboxes or even carriers and then washed the checks with chemicals, keeping the signature but erasing the amount and the payee so they could fill in a new name and amount. But now, they’ve discovered a less messy way to steal. In check cooking, thieves take a digital picture of a stolen check and then use commercially available software to alter it.

“It looks very real, even with the watermarks and all,” explains Michael Bruemmer, vice president of data breach resolution and consumer protection at Experian, a global credit verification and financial services firm. Criminals can print a new phony check or else just deposit the altered image using a bank’s mobile app, he notes.

How to stay safe: Consider using a safer payment method, such as a credit card. But if you choose to write paper checks, scammers still need to steal a physical copy. Make it harder for them. Instead of putting the check in a mailbox, drop it off directly at the nearest post office. And continually monitor your checking account and watch for any suspicious transactions.

2. Voiceprint Scams

Thanks to technological advances, it’s possible for thieves to capture a recording of your voice and then use a software program to generate an imitation “deepfake” version that can be used to impersonate you. “That voiceprint can be used to access your insurance or your financial institution or apply for a driver’s license,” Bruemmer says. The New York Times reported on a recent case in which a representative at a major bank received a call from a deepfake copy of a Florida investor’s voice, requesting that the bank move the man’s money elsewhere. Fortunately, the fraud attempt was spotted by the bank before the real investor lost his savings.

How to stay safe: To prevent your voice from being duplicated, “don’t answer the phone,” Bruemmer advises. “If someone needs to get hold of you, they can text you.” Bruemmer even is cautious about answering calls that appear to be from people on his contact list, since the call could be coming from a phone that’s been stolen or had its SIM card cloned, he says.

3. Delayed-action sweepstakes scam

Sweepstakes scammers, who call or write to say that you’ve won a fabulous fortune, have been around for ages. But recently they’ve come up with a new variation on the old formula, according to Bruemmer. Instead of trying to get you to pay taxes or other fees in advance to collect the nonexistent prize, the scammers will ask for personal information so that they can validate you and set up the payout. “They’ll say, just give us your banking information and your Social Security number, and we’ll file with the IRS and we’ll take care of everything,” he explains. “But, boom, it’s just another form of identity theft.” Instead of quickly looting your bank account — what Bruemmer calls a “smash and grab” — the scammers may play a long game. They’ll write small checks on your account to see whether you notice the fraudulent activity. If you don’t, they’ll continue to use the account to obtain credit cards and lines of credit in your name that they can siphon off, giving them a potentially bigger payday down the road.  

How to stay safe: As with previous variations of the sweepstakes scam, remember that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you get a call from someone claiming that you’ve won a huge prize, the safest bet is to just hang up. And never, ever provide any personal information.

4. Virtual celebrity scam

Celebrities have had online presences for years, but the trend really gained momentum during the pandemic, when stars who couldn’t make public appearances tried to stay connected with their fans by doing online concerts and other events on social media. Fans have become accustomed to that constant virtual intimacy, which leaves them vulnerable to celebrity scammers. “You’re on Instagram or Facebook, and someone pretending to be Celine Dion or her manager reaches out to you,” explains Amy Nofziger, director of victim support for AARP’s Fraud Watch Network. If it’s a fake manager, “They might say, ‘Celine loves your comments. She’d love to talk to you. Here’s her private account.’ ” But after you connect to an impostor pretending to be the superstar singer, the talk gradually turns to how her fortune is tied up in a lawsuit, and she could use a $50,000 loan from you, or a similar story involving a need for your money.

How to stay safe: If you get a direct message from someone claiming to be a famous performer or superstar athlete or representing them, be skeptical. It’s almost certain to be a scam.

5. Multistage grandparent scam

This is a new, more sophisticated version of the old grandparent scam, in which crooks call and pretend to be a grandchild who’s been arrested and needs bail money to get out of a nonexistent legal jam. In the past, grandparent scammers were often small-timers who would plead for a few hundred dollars. But these days, Foss says, they often set up call centers staffed with young people who are paid a few bucks for every grandparent that they can connect with. After posing as grandchildren who’ve been jailed after a car accident, they’ll provide a case number and instruct the target to call their defense attorney or the local prosecutor. “When Grandpa calls up, they say, ‘Oh, do you have the case number?’” Foss explains. It’s actually a subtle psychological trick to see whether the grandparent is compliant and will follow their instructions to send thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars.

Some scammers have a third conspirator pose as a courier and go to a grandparent’s home to pick up the money in person, according to Steve Baker, a former Federal Trade Commission official who now publishes the Baker Fraud Report newsletter.

How to stay safe: If you get a call from an unfamiliar number from a family member claiming to be in trouble, don’t panic. Instead, after you’ve finished talking — and certainly before sending money — the Federal Communications Commission recommends that you call or text the person at his or her usual number and check to see whether the family member is actually in trouble. If they don’t answer, contact other family members or friends if you have any concern that the emergency could be real. Scammers plead with you to keep the situation a secret precisely so you won’t try to confirm it.

6. Paris Olympics scams

Criminals try to find ways to exploit big events that are in the news. With the Paris games coming up this summer, Nofziger suspects that we may start seeing a revival of the fake emergency scam, which bears similarities to the grandparent scam but is slightly different. It could work something like this: A scammer hacks someone’s email account, and shortly after, all of that person’s contacts will receive the same message — something to the effect of, “Hey guys, I’m over in Paris and my wallet got stolen! Can anyone please help me out by sending gift cards or a Venmo deposit?” 

To the recipients, it’s a potentially convincing ruse. “You’re thinking very quickly, well, Amy was in Paris two years ago, and she loves the Olympics, so it all makes sense,” Nofziger explains. “Yeah, I’ll send you money.”

And Olympics officials are warning ticket seekers to avoid bogus ticketing sites and scam emails purporting to be from Paris 2024 (the official website for the games) or the Olympic committee.

How to stay safe: Resist the urge to react immediately if you hear from a friend in Paris needing cash. Instead, follow the Federal Trade Commission’s advice and try another way to contact the person who supposedly is in need, such as calling them on the phone. Alternatively, reach out to a trusted source who knows the person and would be aware of whether or not they went on a trip to Paris.

If you’re intending to go to Paris and receive emails regarding tickets to the games, the official website for Paris 2024 notes, “You will never be asked for the login details for your ticketing account (ID and password)” or “banking details.” Check the sender’s email address; scammers will often change one letter or number, or use .com rather than .org, hoping recipients will mistake the fake address for the legitimate one.

Reprinted from AARP Fraud Watch Network.

The share of shopping that consumers do online has been growing for years. E-commerce sales topped $1.03 trillion in 2022, an increase of 7 percent over the year before and the first time the number has surpassed $1 trillion, according to The Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce. 

Cybercriminals are keeping pace. An AARP survey of 2,012 U.S. consumers 18 and older, found that more than a third of respondents have experienced fraud when trying to buy a product through an online ad.

Online purchasing is the most common scam type reported to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), accounting for 32 percent of complaints to the BBB Scam Tracker in 2022, and the riskiest, with 3 in 4 victims reporting a monetary loss.

The typical shopping scam starts with a bogus website, mobile app or, increasingly, a social media ad; online shopping scams are the most commonly reported scam originating on social media, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Some faux e-stores are invented from whole cloth, but many mimic trusted retailers, with familiar logos and slogans and a URL that’s easily mistaken for the real thing. They offer popular items at a fraction of the usual cost and promise perks such as free shipping and overnight delivery, exploiting the premium online shoppers put on price and speed.

Some copycats do deliver merchandise — shoddy knockoffs worth less than even the “discount” price advertised as a once-in-a-lifetime deal on, say, Tiffany watches or Timberland boots. More often, you’ll wait in vain for your purchase to arrive. 

Your losses might not stop there: Scammers may seed phony sites, apps or links in pop-up ads and email coupons with malware that infects your device and harvests personal information for use in identity theft.

Not surprisingly, these frauds flourish during the holiday season and major shopping events such as Amazon’s Prime Day. Seasonal super sales bring a plethora of deceptive ads, phishing messages and look alike shopping sites, the BBB warns.

You need not forgo the ease and endless selection of online shopping, but take precautions to make sure you get what you pay for.

Warning signs

• Bargain-basement prices. Internet security firm Norton says to be on guard if discounts exceed 55 percent.
• Shoddy website design or sloppy English. Real retailers take great care with their online presentation.
• Limited or suspicious contact options — for example, there’s only a fill-in contact form, or the customer service email is a Yahoo or Gmail account, not a corporate one.
• URLs with extraneous words or characters (most stores use only their brand name in web addresses) or unusual domains — for example, .bargain, .app or a foreign domain instead of .com or .net.
• Sites that ask you to download software or enter personal information to access coupons or discount codes.
• Sellers who demand payment by wire transfer, money order or gift card. They are scammers.

How to protect yourself

• Use trusted sites rather than shopping with a search engine. Scammers can game search results to lead you astray.
• Comparison shop. Check prices from multiple retailers to help determine if a deal you’ve seen really is too good to be true.
• Research an unfamiliar product or brand. Search for its name with terms such as “scam” or “complaint,” and look for reviews.
• Check that phone numbers and addresses on store sites are genuine, so you can contact the seller in case of problems.
• Carefully read delivery, exchange, refund and privacy policies. If they are vague or nonexistent, take your business elsewhere.
• Look twice at URLs and app names. Misplaced or transposed letters are a scam giveaway but easy to miss.
• Pay by credit card. Liability for fraudulent charges on credit cards is generally limited to $50, and some providers offer 100 percent purchase protection. Paying by debit card does not off offer such safeguards.
• Don’t assume a retail website is safe because it is encrypted. Many scam sites use encryption, indicated by a padlock icon or “https://” in front of the URL, to provide a false sense of security. Use other means, including those listed above, to confirm if a site is legit.
• Don’t provide more information than a retailer needs. That should be only your billing information and the shipping address.
• Check that the site is well established, security software maker Norton recommends. Look for a copyright date, and use the WHOIS lookup service to see when a domain was created.

More Resources

• If you’ve been victimized by an online retail scam, file a report with the Federal Trade Commission and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. The FTC website has advice on safe online shopping.
• File a complaint with your state’s attorney general and consumer protection agency.

reprinted from AARP Fraud Watch Network

Holiday shopping, like most shopping these days, has moved online, and that poses unique risks. During last year’s holiday shopping season, an AARP survey revealed that more than 75% of U.S. consumers reported that they experienced some kind of fraud, and a similar share of consumers failed a nine-question safe shopping quiz. The AARP holiday scams survey also identified three specific threat areas.

Beware of Dr. Chatbot: Generative AI Often Gives Unreliable, Biased Medical Advice

New study shows patients shouldn’t put their full trust in the current state of general purpose artificial intelligence

SAN FRANCISCO — A group of ophthalmologists assessed the utility of the most popular generative artificial intelligence (AI) programs  – ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Bing Chat – as an educational resource for patients with eye conditions and disesases. They found that a majority of responses from all three tools were inaccurate, and that two of the three chatbots demonstrated a significant bias against female ophthalmologists. The authors caution that these models are not fine-tuned to provide accurate eye health information. They fear the inaccuracies may further delay treatment, putting their patients at increased risk for vision loss. The study will be presented this week at AAO 2023, the 127^th annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Researchers from the University of Southern California asked three practicing ophthalmologists to compare the ability of these programs to answer common patient questions and create educational resources, as well as recommend ophthalmologists practicing in the 20 largest cities in the United States. The ophthalmologist evaluated the  information on a scale of 1 to 4.

Google Bard scored the highest for quality and accuracy of responses to patient questions, with an average rating of 2.3 out of 4. ChatGPT had the highest rating for patient educational resources, 3 out of 4.

All three chatbots struggled when asked to recommend practicing ophthalmologists or to accurately locate ophthalmologists in or near a specific city. Google Bard and Bing Chat recommended female ophthalmologists less than 2 percent of the time, even though 27 percent of the nation’s ophthalmologists are women.

“Given the substantial bias and inaccuracy demonstrated in this study, we warn against reliance on AI chatbots when seeking health-related information until improvements in algorithms are achieved and validated in the future,” said researcher Michael Oca, BS of the University of California, San Diego. “A poor recommendation from a chatbot could further delay a patient’s treatment.”

For accurate, ophthalmologist-vetted information online, the Academy offers www.EyeSmart.org as a public resource.

“Relying on online tools for quick advice may be tempting, but we urge the public to remember that this is not a replacement for a comprehensive eye exam with an ophthalmologist. Seeing a medical doctor for preventative exams and examining any sudden change in vision is the best way to protect your eye health,” said senior author Sandy Zhang-Nunes, MD, associate professor of clinical ophthalmology, and director of oculofacial plastic surgery at the University of Southern California.

About the American Academy of Ophthalmology

The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the world’s largest association of eye physicians and surgeons. A global community of 32,000 medical doctors, we protect sight and empower lives by setting the standards for ophthalmic education and advocating for our patients and the public. We innovate and support research to advance our profession and to ensure the delivery of the highest-quality eye care. Our EyeSmart® program provides the public with the most trusted information about eye health. For more information, visit aao.org.

Learn how to lower your risk and keep criminals at bay

Scams are rampant these days, with criminals stealing a reported $8.8 billion from Americans last year, according to the Federal Trade Commission. But there are ways to protect yourself, including staying up on the latest schemes and following the advice listed below.

1. Stop at the mailbox

Informed Delivery is a free service from the U.S. Postal Service. The agency emails photos of letter-size mail expected to be delivered to you that day or shortly after. This is a great way to be sure that nothing is stolen from your mailbox by ID thieves. Sign up at InformedDelivery.usps.com.

Pick up mail as quickly as possible after it’s delivered, and always take your outgoing mail directly to the post office. A hot fraud now is scammers stealing checks from mailboxes, erasing the ink and using them to steal from bank accounts.

2. Halt scammers at your front door

Consider installing a video camera; they are increasingly less expensive, and they’re easy to install. If you don’t recognize a visitor, don’t answer.

If you find yourself being pressured to buy or donate, have a refusal script ready (consider taping it near the door) that says, “I do not do business at my door. Please leave me something to review. If I’m interested, I’ll call you.”

Be wary of people posing as utility workers who show up unannounced. Don’t allow anyone into your house without an appointment.

3. Prevent garbage theft

Shred any papers that contain private information (financial statements, bills, shipping receipts) before putting them out for pickup to avoid identity theft. Don’t want to invest in a good cross-cut shredder? Many communities have shredding events or permanent drop-off sites. Get in the habit of dropping off your accumulated documents once every few months.

4. Watch for credit card skimming

Card skimming, in which the criminal affixes a credit card reader on top of a legitimate card reader at a store or gas station, is estimated to cause up to $1 billion in losses annually. When you are paying at a gas station or other point-of-sale location, inspect the device for loose/broken/scratched machinery to make sure someone hasn’t tampered with it. If you are unsure, notify the cashier and pay using an alternative method.​

5. Monitor your credit report

Routinely check yours (many credit card companies provide it for free; if not, go to AnnualCreditReport.com or call 1-877-322-8228). Watch for unusual activity; if you see any, report it immediately to the appropriate financial institution.

Then freeze your credit report. This prevents scammers from opening new credit cards or making big purchases in your name. You can “unfreeze” it as needed for legitimate transactions. Visit IdentityTheft.gov for more information.

6. Safeguard your wallet

Remove cards and information you don’t need to carry (such as your Social Security or Medicare card). Make copies of the remaining cards (front and back) and store in a safe place.

Audit your wallet and purse frequently. Take out any unnecessary items that collect and could compromise your personal information if lost or that would be a hassle to replace.

7. Protect your financial accounts

Create online accounts with each of your financial institutions. Come up with a unique password for each.

Then get in the habit of reviewing the transaction lists on a weekly or biweekly basis. Be sure you can account for every listed transaction. Spot something odd or incorrect? Immediately report it.

8. Safeguard your smartphone

If you have a newer model, turn on biometric identification (finger­print or facial recognition); this will help prevent a thief from logging in to your phone.

Send calls from unknown numbers to voicemail (you can enable this in the phone’s settings). Make sure your voicemail is set up and not full, so you can receive legitimate messages.

Scammers are sending far more bogus texts, often posing as companies you routinely deal with. Never respond to an unsolicited business text; if you think it might be valid, call the organization or go online.

9. Secure your computer

Turn on two-factor authentication for all secure websites you frequent, such as financial institutions or utility companies (find out how via each site’s online security center). Then only someone logged in to your phone can receive the code to access those accounts.

Consider subscribing to an antivirus software service. Some security experts say browsers and device manufacturers have more built-in malware protection than years ago, such as Microsoft Defender, which comes installed on Windows 10 and 11 machines. Some paid subscriptions also include ad tracker blocking, cloud backups of your machines and identity theft monitoring.

10. Protect your email accounts

Actively designate unsolicited and unwanted email that shows up in your inbox as spam, so future emails from that site get blocked.

Do not open file attachments in emails from businesses or people you don’t trust completely. Malware is often planted via email attachments.

11. Set limits on social media

Set your profile so that only your friends can see your Facebook page. To do that, click the downward arrow button in the upper-right corner of your Facebook page, then click on Settings & Privacy and Privacy Checkup. This easy-to-use wizard will guide you through the settings. And never accept friend requests from people you don’t know or respond to random messages from strangers. But also note that imposter scams, where someone pretends to be your friend, are rampant on social media.

12. Verify online stores

To avoid shopping scams, when typing in a URL, double- and triple-check the spelling to ensure you are on the correct page. Scammers often create a URL with one letter off from the authentic one in hopes you won’t catch it.

Remove your credit card number and information from restaurant delivery and retail store sites. Pay using an e-payment service that keeps credit card info on a highly secure site.

13. Change the way you think

Learn how to not engage. You are under no obligation in these modern times to respond to calls, emails or texts from strangers — especially given that so many of them are fraudulent.

Learn to say no. Sometimes a caller will get through. Get tough: Say, “I do not do business over the phone. Goodbye.” Then hang up without remorse.

Trust your instincts. If something doesn’t sound right, run it by someone you trust and take extra time to think about it.

Reprinted from AARP Fraudwatch Network