1. Watch for Credit Card Skimming
With fuel pumps and ATM’s as frequent targets, a surge of skimming devices is threatening consumers. Criminals attach sophisticated skimmers directly over legitimate card slots or splice them into internal wiring to secretly record your financial data.
Many modern skimming devices closely resemble real hardware, making them difficult to detect at first glance. Vulnerable targets include standalone ATMs, unattended retail checkout lines and card terminals located in busy tourist areas.
The next time you fill your tank or use a card terminal, inspect the machine closely for loose, bent, crooked or scratched components. Pull firmly on the card slot or wiggle the keypad before inserting your card. If anything feels loose or altered, do not use it and notify an employee immediately. To help stay safe, choose tap-to-pay options or digital wallets over physical insertion. Use credit cards for stronger fraud protections.
Read more about Credit Card Skimming at the AARP website.
2. Utility Scams (Summer Heating)
As rising summer temperatures cause energy demands to increase, criminals exploit fears of losing power and air conditioning by posing as local utility companies.
Scammers place threatening phone calls, phishing emails or urgent text messages aimed at convincing consumers to supply personal data or to click on unverified links to resolve a past-due balance. Oftentimes these schemes are accompanied by a push to receive instant payment through unconventional payment methods like gift cards or cryptocurrency.
If you receive an unexpected threat to terminate your service, take an active pause and contact the utility company’s customer service department using the number from your physical bill or the company’s website (don’t search – go directly to the site) to check your account status. Chances are it’s a scam.
Read more about Utility Scams on the AARP website.
3. Beware of Fake QR Code Scams
QR codes have become a convenient part of our daily lives, from viewing restaurant menus to paying for parking meters. However, scammers are increasingly taking advantage of this technology to steal your personal information and money through a tactic known as “squishing.” By physically pasting fraudulent stickers over legitimate ones, or sending fake codes via email or text, criminals can redirect you to malicious websites meant to mimic trusted businesses.
In public settings, you might unknowingly scan a tampered code on a flyer or parking meter, sending your payment directly into a scammer’s account.
Protecting yourself requires extra caution. When scanning a physical QR code, ensure it’s not a sticker layered over the original. When in doubt, avoid the QR code entirely, and use your phone's web browser and type in the official web address yourself. Additionally, keeping your devices' operating systems updated and using antivirus protection can offer an important second line of defense.
Read more about Fake QR Codes on the AARP website.
4. Jury Duty Scams
Scammers often use fear and intimidation to convince people of their scheme. In jury duty scams, criminals call or message posing as court officials, US marshals, or sheriff’s deputies. They falsely claim that you missed a jury summons and threaten you with immediate arrest unless you pay right away.
To heighten the panic, criminals often spoof caller ID screens to display a local courthouse or police department number. They aggressively demand that you stay on the phone while you purchase gift cards, send a wire transfer, or deposit money into a cryptocurrency account. In other instances, they may ask for your Social Security number under the guise of checking records.
Real courts will never contact you out of the blue to demand immediate payment or sensitive information over the phone, nor do they threaten jail time for a missed jury summons. Official court business regarding jury service is managed exclusively through the mail. If you receive a suspicious call, hang up immediately and verify the claim by calling your local courthouse directly.
Read more about Jury Duty Scams on the AARP website.
