November 13, 2025
Scams are Evolving. The Goal is the Same. Don’t let them score.
As the public becomes more familiar with scam tactics, scammers have resorted to using more discreet tactics and implementing them across multiple platforms. While this approach may appear different, it is important to remember that the goal of obtaining your confidential information remains the same. Any application or form of communication, especially newer ones, can be exploited by scammers to take advantage of unsuspecting users. That’s why it is important to be able to recognize scams across all platforms.
These are the things you should be considering when someone you are not familiar with reaches out to you on any platform.
Were you expecting someone to reach out or was this unexpected?
Is there an unusual contact name or ID attached to whoever is reaching out?
Is there a sense of urgency being communicated in the message?
Are there any suspicious URLs or attachments that you are being asked to click on or that are available to click?
Platform-Specific Things To Be Mindful Of
On email, it is important to make sure the email address is correct. Banks usually use specific email address formats and any email linked to an email address that deviates from the format the bank uses should be considered suspicious. Regarding what to look for in the content of the email, any bad grammar or misspelling in addition to unexpected email attachments are surefire signs that they are attempting to scam you.
With the rising popularity of cash transfer apps like Venmo, Cash App, and Zelle, knowing the common scam tactics used on these platforms can save you from a headache of trouble. The two most common are the "overpayment claim" and "requesting to send money to yourself."
The overpayment claim involves someone telling you that they accidentally sent you extra money through a cash transfer app and then asking you to send the money back. Their hope is that you take their word for it and send the “money” back without stopping to check if there is any validity to their claim. Don't fall for it.
The other tactic involves someone pretending to be from a financial institution and asking you to send money to yourself in a subtle attempt to get your banking information. Banks will never tell you to send money to yourself.
“Accidental Text On Purpose”
One tactic that has become more prevalent in recent years is the “accidental contact” method where scammers will reach out to you in a casual manner pretending to be unaware of the fact that they have the wrong number. These messages will often be vague, open ended, and often times there will be nothing in these messages that is specific to you.
Their goal is to get you to engage in conversation with them so that they can eventually ask you questions that could be related to any security questions that you have set up.
Here are some examples of what these types of scam attempts can look like: They’ll often ask brief questions like your name or looking to confirm plans.
- “Hello, is this [name that isn’t yours]?”
- “We still on for coffee tomorrow?”
- “We still on for golf tomorrow?”
Whenever a random number contacts you unexpectedly, it is important to think back and remember if you recently gave your number to someone or who is random number could possibly be. If nothing comes to mind, it is likely a scam and you should not engage and you should delete the number. The more you engage the more likely they will be able to get personal information from you.