Search Scams
Scam of the day – July 8, 2026 – Thwarting the Wrong Type of Shredder is Child’s Play
Many people think that the common strip shredder which
shreds your documents in long strips will protect you from identity theft. The truth is it does not. This fact was reinforced a few years ago when North Carolina television station WFMY did an experiment with a group of fifth graders at the Northern Guilford Elementary School who were given shredded documents which they were able to piece together sufficiently to recognize account numbers and other information which in the wrong hands could lead to identity theft.
Scam of the day – July 7, 2026 – DIRECTTV Phishing Email
Phishing emails are perhaps the most common way people are scammed or become victims of identity theft. Phishing emails appear to come from a legitimate company with which you may do business and lure you into clicking on malware infected links or provide personal information that leads to your becoming a victim of identity theft.
Scam of the day – July 6, 2026 – Watch Out For Credit Repair Scams
Credit repair scams are very common as scammers take advantage of people with debt problems and promise to fix their credit and clear their credit reports of adverse information for up front fees. I have been warning you about these scams for thirteen years. Recently the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a warning about phony credit repair companies telling people to fix their credit by filing a false identity theft report all the while requiring an upfront payment for their services. Both of those are illegal. Credit repair companies must provide a detailed contract explaining your legal rights such as the right to cancel the contract without any charges within three days of signing the contract. The law also prohibits upfront payments before they perform any services.
Scam of the day – July 5, 2026 – American Consumer Credit Counseling Data Breach Settlement
American Consumer Credit Counseling, Inc. (“ACCC”) a non-profit credit counseling agency suffered a data breach recently experienced a data breach on Jan. 29, 2025, in which a cybercriminal gained access to ACCC’s computer systems and acquired copies of files containing personal information including names, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, financial account numbers and/or payment card information.
Scam of the day – July 4, 2026 – You Can’t Trust Alexa for Customer Service Numbers
For years I have warned you about phony tech support scams done by scammers who establish bogus tech support websites for your favorite tech companies, such as Facebook and Instagram. By manipulating the algorithms used by Google and other search engines, the scammers manage to get their bogus websites into top positions in Google and other search engine searches. Other times, the merely purchase an ad on these search engines so their phony customer service number will be at the top of any search. These phony tech support websites are used to scam you out of money or personal information which they use to make you a victim of identity theft. Scammers also use similar tactics to scam people looking for help with the repair of common household appliances, such as refrigerators and washing machines.
Scam of the day – July 3, 2026 – Phony Geek Squad Invoice Scam Epidemic
According to the FTC the company most impersonated by scammers with phishing emails containing fake bills or fake renewals is Geek Squad. Geek Squad is a subsidiary of big box store chain Best Buy and it offers excellent tech support for electronic devices including televisions and computers. Scammers have been sending phishing emails that appear to be Geek Squad invoices. Reproduced below is one of those imposter phishing emails presently circulating. It looked like a legitimate email from Geek Squad, although the grammar was not particularly good which is one of many indications that it was a scam. These types of phishing emails are intended to lure you into contacting the scammers where you will be prompted to provide information that will lead to your becoming a victim of identity theft. This email is intended to get you to respond by calling the phone number contained in the email to dispute the bill. If you do call the number you will be prompted to provide personal information that would be used to make you a victim of identity theft.
Scam of the day – July 2, 2026 – Fourth of July Scams
Many scammers send out emails or text messages purportedly from the IRS or any of a number of state and federal agencies in which they require you to provide personal information under the guise of some emergency. They do this because if they can frighten you enough to act during the holiday in some instances you will be unable to confirm with the real entity as to whether the communication is legitimate because all of these entities will be closed on the Fourth of July. If you provide the requested information, it will be used against you to make you a victim of identity theft.
Scam of the day – July 1, 2026 – Phony Inheritance Scam
The Federal Trade Commission is warning people about a scam which begins when you get a letter from a law firm informing you that they are probating an estate in which they have not been able to locate an heir, however, they then inform you that you are the heir to the million dollar estate. The letter then offers to split the value of the estate with you, some charities and their law firm. If you respond to the letter, you will be asked to provide personal and financial information including your Social Security number and to pay a fee. If this sounds vaguely familiar it is because it is just a variation of the Nigerian email scam that continues to plague the online community.
Scam of the day – June 30, 2026 – “Kind” Can be a Dangerous Word When it Comes to Scams
So when you get an email or a text message that appears to be from a governmental agency such as the IRS or a company such as Amazon that uses the word “kindly” in a communication requesting a payment, personal information or asking you to click on a link or download an attachment under any pretense, you should immediately remember BS, be skeptical.
Scam of the day – June 29, 2026 – Louisiana Sheriff Warns About Scammers Posing as Priests
I first warned you about this particular scam in 2017, but it has recently resurfaced in many places around the country including St. James Louisiana where the local sheriff is warning people about scammers posing as a local priest contacting parishioners and attempting to lure them into sending gift cards. Similarly, last year, parishioners of the Nativity Lutheran Church in Bend, Oregon received emails that appeared to come from their Pastor, Chris Kramer in which they were asked to buy Target gift cards and provide the numbers of the gift cards to the phony Pastor Kramer to help with a “delicate” situation. The email contained the photo of the pastor and was written in a manner that closely followed his writing style. The scammers may have been aided by AI in doing so. This wasn’t even the first time this type of scam had targeted parishioners of the church. A similar less sophisticated version of the email was done five years ago.
Scam of the day – June 28, 2026 – Scammers Love WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) more scams in the United States are started on social media than on any other platform at a cost of 2 billion dollars in 2025 and that figure is undoubtedly low because many victims, often out of embarrassment, do not report being victimized. A study done by the Fin Tech company Revolut found that 60% of all scams in the UK originated on the Meta platforms Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp with investment scams being the most common form of scam. Revolut referred to social media as a “hotbed” for scams.
Scam of the day – June 27, 2026 – Stolen Car Reward Scam
Scammers are taking photos of cars and then posting them on social media indicating that the car has been stolen and that a thousand dollar reward is being offered for information about the whereabouts of the car. When people respond to the social media post with information about the “stolen” car, they are then instructed to provide their bank account number and bank routing number in order to have the reward sent to their bank account.
Scam of the day – June 26, 2026 – Porn in the Cloud Scam
People are reporting receiving calls that purport to be from Apple’s Special Investigations Unit telling them that illegal child pornography has been discovered on their cloud account. The phony investigator is sympathetic when you inform them that you never stored child pornography on the cloud or anywhere else. He tells you that most likely the child pornography was somehow planted by a hacker on your computer and it is being backed up in the cloud. In order to remedy the problem, the phony Apple investigator tells you he needs remote access to your computer in order to locate and remove the child pornography from your computer. The cost of this service can be as high as thousands of dollars which the phony investigator requests be paid through Amazon gift cards. This scam presents a double whammy. Victims of the scam not only pay the scammer for services they don’t need, but by providing remote access to their computers, they enable the scammer to install a wide variety of malware that can lead to identity theft and further scams.
Scam of the day – June 25, 2026 – Synthetic Identity Theft Worsens
Synthetic identity theft poses a significant threat to many people particularly children. Synthetic identity theft occurs when a criminal takes information from a variety of sources to create a new identity to take out loans, purchase goods and services, or fraudulently obtain credit cards. Synthetic identity thieves combine real and fake information to form a new fictional person. They may use your Social Security number and combine it with the name, address and phone number of someone else. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has said that synthetic identity theft is the fastest growing type of identity theft. Children are the most common victims of synthetic identity theft and it is often many years before the problem is discovered.
Scam of the day – June 24, 2026 – The Danger of Social Media Quizzes
Quizzes on Facebook and other social media are very popular, but they can be exploited by identity thieves. A good example of this was the “10 Concerts, but there is one act that I haven’t seen live. Which is it?” Facebook quiz. While this may appear harmless, the information you provide may tell more about you than is safe to make public. It may provide information about your approximate age and preferences in music which can then be used by a scammer to send you a spear phishing email tailored to appeal to your particular interests that you may trust and click on a link contained in the email that contains either keystroke logging malware that can be used to steal your identity or ransomware.
Scam of the day – June 23, 2026 – Phantom Debt Collection Scams
Receiving a telephone call from a debt collector is not a pleasant experience. Being hounded by someone attempting to collect a debt you do not owe constitutes fraud. In recent years the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken action against a number of these phantom debt collection agencies. These scammers used false claims and threats to compel people to pay debts which were largely either non-existent or which the defendants had no authority to collect. They also violated federal law by illegally failing to provide proper notices and disclaimers also required by federal law.
Scam of the day – June 22, 2026 – Amazon Refund Scam
The most recent Amazon phishing scam involves an email or a text message that appears to come from Amazon telling you that a product you recently bought has failed a routine quality inspection and therefore it is being recalled. You are further told that you do not have to even return the item and that you are eligible for a full refund. In order to claim your refund, you are instructed to click on a link in the email or text message which takes you to a phony Amazon login or refund page that asks for you Amazon credentials, payment information and personal details. Of course, there is no refund and if you supply the information you will enable the scammer to take over your Amazon account as well as make you a victim of identity theft.
Scam of the day – June 21, 2026 – Telephone Call From No One Scam
We have all experienced telephone calls where you pick up the phone and there is no one on the other end of the line. This is a scam, but how does it work and how are you harmed? With computers that can be programmed to make massive amounts of telephone calls, scammers will often first test their lists of telephone numbers by making these calls to determine which telephone numbers are valid numbers for them to call back later with automated robocalls by which they will attempt to either sell you something worthless or gather information from you that can be used to make you a victim of identity theft.
Scam of the day – June 20, 2026 – Celebrity Deepfake Scams
For years I have told you about scammers posing as various popular celebrities in ads and on social media luring people into making payments for worthless products. Scammers also pose as celebrities on social media through which they contact fans of the impersonated celebrity and scam them through romance scams and a variety of other scams. Unfortunately, with the increased of Artificial Intelligence these phony ads and scams have become both more believable looking and more frequent as the deepfake and other AI technology becomes readily available to less technologically savvy scammers.
Scam of the day – June 19, 2026 – Phony Restaurant Delivery Service Scam
Scammers create websites for phony delivery services using names such as “Order Hero” and “Order Ventures” or they mimic websites of legitimate restaurants or delivery services and through manipulating algorithms used by search engines to rank websites may appear at the top of a Google Chrome or other search engine search. Some sophisticated scammers have even managed to place their phony delivery sites in so many chat rooms and other places on the Internet that they get picked up as a legitimate site by AI so you can’t trust your query to AI for a legitimate delivery service. Trust me, you can’t trust anyone.
Scam of the day – June 18, 2026 – Father’s Day Scams
Identity thieves send emails purporting to contain a link to an electronic Father’s Day card, but instead of an electronic greeting card, what they actually are sending is malware that becomes downloaded when the victim clicks on the link. A common type of malware sent by criminals is keystroke logging malware enables an identity thief to steal personal information from the victim’s computer that can be used for purposes of identity theft. In other instances, the malware is ransomware which will encrypt all of your data which the hacker threatens to destroy unless you pay a cryptocurrency ransom.
Scam of the day – June 17, 2026 – Evolution of the Brushing Scam
Now we are seeing a resurgence of this scam, but in a more threatening manner. While in the original brushing scam, people receiving the unordered items did not suffer any financial harm, now scammers are sending unordered goods, most often through Amazon, to people with a QR code and instructions to scan the QR code in order to see who sent the goods. If you scan the QR code either you will be taken to a phony, but legitimate appearing website where you will be prompted to provide personal information that will be used to make you a victim of identity theft or, even worse, merely by scanning the QR code you may download malware that will steal personal information from your phone that can lead to identity theft.
Scam of the day – June 16, 2026 – Bogus DeepNude Deepfake App Scam
The Russian cybercrime gang FIN7 which has also been known as Carbanak has created seven websites that advertise what they refer to as a “DeepNude Generator” which provides artificial intelligence deepfake technology to enable anyone using their site to create deepfake nude photos and videos. People either downloading the software of signing up for a free trial end up downloading various forms of malware including ransomware. FIN7 has also used their technical expertise to manipulate the algorithms used by search engines to enable them to get a prominent listing in searches for porn sites.
Scam of the day – June 15, 2026 – Costco Members Targeted by Scammers
Big box wholesaler Costco is extremely popular with more than 63 million members and anything popular with the public is also going to be popular with scammers. Imposter scams where scammers generate massive numbers of emails posing as Costco informing the targeted victim that his or her Costco membership requires renewal. Generally, the emails contain a link that takes the targeted victim to a counterfeit AI created Costco website where they are prompted to provide their log in credentials and credit card information. The email appears legitimate and carries the Costco logo and the language, which also may be AI created, appears legitimate with perfect grammar. Providing the requested information will lead to identity theft and credit card fraud.
Scam of the day – June 14, 2026 – Comcast Data Breach Class Action Settlement Update
A class action against Comcast alleging negligence in protecting the personal information of its customers was filed shortly after the data breach and the case has now settled with Comcast agreeing to pay $117.5 million. As is common in such settlements, Comcast did not admit liability. Class members can receive reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses and lost time. Alternatively, class members can choose a cash payment of $50. In addition to the cash payments, Comcast is also offering class members three years of credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, authentication alerts, high-risk transaction monitoring, identity theft insurance and monthly credit score tracking. A final court hearing at which the settlement will be approved is scheduled for July 7th. The deadline for filing a claim is August 14, 2026. Here is the link to where you can file a claim. https://forms.ksacms.com/efiling/fr/eform/comcastbreachsettlement_claimform/new?form-version=1&fr-wizard-page=section-1
Scam of the day – June 13, 2026 – Overpayment Scam
This is just another variation on the scam whereby the victim, for whatever purposes receives a check in excess of the amount owed to the victim and asks the victim to send back the difference. There are a number of tell tale signs to look for and steps to take to avoid this type of scam. First, you need to remember that although a check may appear to have been cleared by your bank after a few days, all you are really getting is “provisional credit” and when the counterfeit check eventually bounces, the credit is taken back from your account and you are left having sent your own money to the scammer. The prudent thing to do when being paid by a check is to wait until the check has fully cleared before you can feel confident that the funds actually are in your account. This may take a few weeks. Most importantly, never accept a check for more than what is owed you and send the difference back. It is always a scam. Asking you to wire money from your account is also something about which you should be skeptical because once money is wired, it is impossible to get it back.
Scam of the day – June 12, 2026 – Why You Should Have Unique Passwords for All Your Accounts
Identity theft is a serious crime that can result in financial harm and tremendous disruption of the lives of its victims. We are presently in an era of constant major data breaches so no matter how careful you are about protecting your personal information, you are only as safe as the security at the companies and government agencies that have your personal information. While often people are less concerned when data breaches do not result in the theft of their Social Security number or credit card number, a data breach in which merely your email address and password were compromised can result in major problems.
Scam of the day – June 12, 2026 – Docusign Phishing Scam
This phishing email was designed to lure the person receiving the email to click on the link and either provide personal information that could be used for identity theft, or, as more likely in this particular phishing attempt, merely by clicking on the link would have downloaded malware such as ransomware or keystroke logging malware into the computer of the person clicking on the link. Keystroke logging malware would have enabled the cybercriminal to steal all of the personal information from the computer and make that person a victim of identity theft. I removed the link from the email displayed below.
Scam of the day – June 11, 2026 – SIM Swaps Put You in Danger
Recently, Patricia Escriva was shocked to see that she had lost control of her cell phone and that scammers had emptied her bank account of $18,000. What made this more troubling was that her account was protected by dual factor authentication. She was the victim of a SIM swap. A Subscriber Identity Module, more commonly known as a SIM card, is an integrated circuit that stores information used to authenticate subscribers on mobile devices, such as a cell phone. The SIM card is able to be transferred between different devices, and often is, when people update into a newer cell phone. SIM Swapping is the name for the crime where someone convinces your phone carrier to transfer your SIM card to a phone controlled by the criminal.
Scam of the day – June 10, 2026 – Car Rental Scams
Since 2019, the cost of renting a car on vacation has increased dramatically. However, scammers are more than willing to help you out. They are setting up phony car rental company websites and websites that appear to be those of legitimate car rental companies such as Avis or Hertz.
Scam of the day – June 9, 2026 – Mystery Shopper Scam Continues to Claim Victims
The manner in which the scam generally works is that when you answer an advertisement, or respond to a letter, email or a text message to become a mystery shopper, you are sent a bank check. You deposit the check into your own account and spend some of the money on the goods that you purchase which you are allowed to keep and also are directed to keep some of the balance of the check as payment for your services. You are instructed to return the remaining funds by a wire transfer. Of course, the check that was sent to you is counterfeit and bounces, but the funds wired by the victim of the scam is gone forever from his or her bank account.
Scam of the day – June 8, 2026 – Sirius-XM Phony Invoice Scam
The copied email below, provided by a longtime Scamicide reader, attempts to lure you into clicking on a link in order to renew an expired satellite radio Sirius XM account for free which right away should be a red flag that this is a scam. As always, the purpose of a phishing email is to lure you into clicking on links contained within the email or providing personal information. If you click on links in phishing emails, you end up either downloading malware or providing information used to make you a victim of identity theft.
Scam of the day – June 7, 2026 – Medicare Misdial Scam
Medicare coverage can be confusing. Fortunately, if you have a question regarding your coverage, you can always call the official Medicare phone number of 1-900-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) and speak to a Medicare representative who can answer your question. Unfortunately, scammers are aware that on occasion, people will misdial the phone number and scammers take advantage of this by purchasing telephone numbers that are a single digit off of the real phone number and wait to be called by unsuspecting Medicare recipients. The scammers then will ask the person calling for various information supposedly for verification purposes, such as your Medicare number, your Social Security number, your bank account information or your credit card information. Providing this information will lead to identity theft.
Scam of the day – June 6, 2026 – The Danger of Trojan Subscribers
Trojan subscribers are malicious code that cybercriminals add to legitimate apps and then upload them to app stores under a different name. The apps can be for a variety of purposes, such as monitoring blood pressure or scanning documents. When someone downloads one of these infected apps, he or she doesn’t realize that the Trojan subscriber will automatically subscribe to a paid service without the person who downloaded the app being aware of it.
Scam of the day – June 5, 2026 – Vacation Home Rental Scam
Unfortunately, they are also a great way for scam artists to steal money from unwary people looking for a vacation home. The scam usually starts with a listing that looks quite legitimate and there is a good reason for that. The listing is often a real on-line listing that has been copied by the scammer who merely puts in his or her name and contact information. The price is usually very low which attracts a lot of potential renters. The potential renters are sometimes told that the owner is out of the country and that there are many people interested in the property so if the tenant wants to be considered for renting it, the tenant has to wire money to the landlord somewhere outside of the country. As I have warned you many times, wiring money is a scammer’s first choice because it is all but impossible to retrieve once you have found out that you have been scammed. Too often, unwary potential tenants wire the money and never hear anything further from the scam landlord. And as for the money, it is gone forever.
Scam of the day – June 4, 2026 – San Antonio Passes Law Requiring Warnings on Cryptocurrency ATMs.
Now San Antonio, Texas has passed an ordinance requiring a sign be put on all cryptocurrency ATMs in both English and Spanish warning users about common cryptocurrency scams and instructing anyone being pressured to send money to call 911.
Scam of the day – June 3, 2026 – FIFA World Cup Scams Increasing
The FIFA World Cup tournament will be beginning on June 11th. This is the most popular sporting event in the world. With an estimated half of the world’s population eagerly watching the FIFA World Cup tournament it should come as no surprise that this event has spawned numerous scams and identity theft schemes concocted by criminals around the world. The FBI is warning people about scammers setting up phony FIFA websites in order to lure people into paying for tickets or merchandise that they will never receive or provide personal information that will lead to identity theft. Often the scammers will use URLs that at first glance such as http://www.fiffa.com that at first glance may appear to be the legitimate http://www.fifa.com site. Among the many counterfeit websites that the FBI identified is http://www.fifa-online.com and jobs-fifa.com. By using AI the scammers can make the counterfeit websites appear legitimate.
Scam of the day – June 2, 2026 – Avis Data Breach Settlement Update
In August of 2024, the rental car company Avis suffered a data breach in which personal and financial information of 299,000 of its customers was compromised. The compromised information included names, mailing addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, driver’s license numbers and credit card information. This information put Avis’ customers in danger of identity theft and other scams. A class action was filed in September of 2024 alleging that Avis was negligent in failing to implement reasonable security measures. and now that lawsuit has been settled with class members eligible to receive up to $5,000 for documented, unreimbursed losses suffered as a result of the data breach. Class members who did not experience out-of-pocket losses will also receive cash payments from the settlement. The amount of the payments will depend upon on the number of class members making claims. The settlement is scheduled for a final approving hearing before a judge who must approve the settlement On July 28, 2026.
Scam of the day – June 1, 2026 – California Sues Over 23andMe Data Breach
In the Scam of the day for October 10, 2023 I informed you of a data breach at the genetic testing company 23andMe that compromised information of 6.9 million of its customers. This week California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced he is suing Chrome Holding, the DNA testing firm that succeeded 23andMe after 23andMe filed for bankruptcy alleging the company was negligent in failing to secure its customers’ sensitive data.
Scam of the day – May 31, 2026 – AI Enhanced Fake Kidnapping Scam Snares Victim
Recently, Deborah Del Mastro of California received a phone call from someone who told her that he had kidnapped her daughter and then to prove that they were holding her daughter, Sarah, they put Sarah on the phone who, in a panic filled voice told her mother, “I love you, mom. I’m so sorry, I’m so scared.” But it wasn’t her daughter, Sarah. The phony kidnappers had cloned Sarah’s voice to make the call appear legitimate. In response to the kidnapper’s demand, Deborah Del Mastro wired $5,400 to Mexico and was told to go to a local grocery store where her daughter would be released. When her daughter didn’t appear, she finally called her daughter’s cell phone and found out that she had been at work the entire time.
Scam of the day – May 30, 2026 – PayPal Friends and Family Payment Scams
PayPal also has another payment option called Friends and Family which is intended to use in situations such as making a gift, splitting a lunch tab or sending money to someone you know very well. It is not intended for commercial purposes. When you use the Goods and Services PayPal option you are charged a small fee, but when you use the Friends and Family option and pay from your PayPal account or your bank account tied to your PayPal account there is no fee. However, when you use the Friends and Family option, you do not get the PayPal Purchase Protection Plan. Scammers will offer something for sale and then ask to be paid by PayPal using the Friends and Family option to save a little money. Many people comply with this request and have few options to get their money back once they have been scammed.
Scam of the day – May 29, 2026 – HR Department Vacation Scam
One new scam involves your getting an email that appears to come from your employer’s HR Department luring you to click on a link to submit your request for vacation time. Clicking on the link can either cause you to download dangerous malware that can lead to your becoming a victim of identity theft or luring you into providing your online credentials at work in order to get access to your company’s computers and data.
Scam of the day – May 28, 2026 – Carnival Cruise Line Data Breach Class Action Filed
Carnival Cruise Line suffered a massive data breach by the ransomware gang ShinyHunters through social engineering on April 18, 2026 that is estimated to have affected 8.7 million records. The data breach is still being investigated, but is reported to have included...
Scam of the day – May 27, 2026 – Missouri Becomes the Latest State to Take on Crypto ATMs
Indiana was the first state to outright ban cryptocurrency ATMs. Tennessee has joined the parade as the second state to ban cryptocurrency ATMs after their legislature unanimously voted to do so. Their ban will take effect July 1st. Tennessee was prompted to do so after its citizens lost $142 million to cryptocurrency scams. Overall, Americans lost $11.3 billion last year to cryptocurrency ATM scams. A number of states have sued the crypto ATM companies with the most recent being Missouri which sued GPD Holdings LLC who do business as CoinFlip for “knowingly facilitating fraudulent transactions and profiting from them with convoluted and excessive fees through cryptocurrency kiosks..”
Scam of the day – May 26, 2026 – Liberty Mutual Data Breach Class Action Filed
When Liberty Mutual refused to pay the demanded ransom promptly, Everest added Liberty Mutual to its dark web site where they threaten to post the information stolen. Now a proposed class action has been filed by two affected customers in Massachusetts claiming Liberty Mutual was negligent in its failure to protect sensitive customer data. I will keep you informed as to progress of the lawsuit.
Scam of the day – May 25, 2026 – Gift Cards Are a Scammers Best Friend
Scammers are big fans of gift cards because they are easy to purchase, easy to send to the scammer and impossible to trace to the scammer. According to the FTC, consumers lost 250 million dollars to gift card scams in 2025. It is not even necessary for the scammer to be in possession of the actual gift card to use it. Sending the gift card numbers or taking a picture on your phone and transmitting it to the scammer is sufficient for the scammer to use the gift card to buy things that can then be sold and converted into cash.
Scam of the day – May 24, 2026 – Fuel Relief Program Scams
When, according to AAA the average price for a gallon of gas in the United States was $4.82 in July of 2022 I told you in a Scam of the day about scammers posing as government agents offering phony fuel assistance. At that time the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warned the public about scammers calling, texting and emailing people posing as government representatives of the federal Fuel Relief Program offering assistance. All you needed to do, they told you, was provide some personal and financial information in order to be eligible for the program. Unfortunately, there was no such program then and there is no such program now as we all face high gas prices. Anyone providing their personal or financial information to the scammer will end up becoming a victim of identity theft.
Scam of the day – May 23, 2026 – Is That New Card You Received From Medicare Legitimate?
I always advise people B.S. – Be skeptical, so it is not surprising that many people are indeed skeptical when they receive a snail mail letter from Medicare containing a new Medicare card with a new ID number, but the truth is that Medicare has sent out 1.3 million new cards to people whose Medicare ID numbers were either compromised in a data breach or otherwise susceptible to fraud. The bad news is that scammers are also aware that Medicare is sending out new cards so using AI to create the letters and cards, scammers are also sending out new cards for purposes of identity theft or to swindle their victims out of money.
Scam of the day – May 22, 2026 – Memorial Day Scams
As we honor our veterans on Memorial Day, May 25th it is important to remember that scammers take Memorial Day as just another opportunity to scam veterans and others. In the case of Memorial Day, you can expect to be solicited by scammers by phone (remember legitimate charities can call you by phone even if you have enrolled in the Do Not Call List because charities are exempt from the Do Not Call List), email or letters asking for your money for various veterans causes or charitable ventures tied to Memorial Day.
Scam of the day – May 21, 2026 – Tennessee Becomes Second State to Ban Cryptocurrency ATMs
Earlier this year, Massachusetts became the latest state to sue a crypto ATM operator, in this case Bitcoin Depot for enabling criminals to use their machines to scam people. According to the lawsuit, more than half of the money that went through Bitcoin Depot ATMs between August 2023 and January 2025 was related to scams. Indiana was the first state to outright ban cryptocurrency ATMs. Now Tennessee has joined the parade as the second state to ban cryptocurrency ATMs after their legislature unanimously voted to do so. The ban will take effect July 1st. Tennessee was prompted to do so after its citizens lost $142 million to cryptocurrency scams. Overall, Americans lost $11.3 billion last year to cryptocurrency ATM scams.