3 Common Scams in 2012

This is a particularly terrible time of year to get scammed, so here’s 3 quick PSAs about common recent ones to watch out for:

1. If someone calls to “warn” you that your computer has been compromised and is crashing the internet or something, hang up. Any attempt to scare you into believing that there is something wrong with your computer is trying to “sell” you security software.
2. Got strange email that seems to be from a friend? Spammers have really figured out to make email superficially look like it’s from someone you know. Be wary, and don’t click!
3. If someone tells you won a lottery, but have to pay something to claim your prize, that’s a scam — very prevalent this past year. Of course, it’s just a variant of the most common type of fraud, “advance fee fraud.” The story told about the source of money varies widely, but it always boils down to “paying money to get more money.”