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On any given day, you may receive a number of scam calls, texts, emails, DMs, and more across the different digital platforms you use. Scammers definitely aren’t known for being polite or respectful (they are trying to scam you, after all), so at what point will they leave you alone?
Read on to learn more about how to reduce contact with scammers, the types of scams that are out there, and how to navigate a digital world full of spam.
What Is a Digital Scam?
There are a variety of ways someone might try to scam you online. Usually, scammers are after your personal data, like your address, email, credit card number, Social Security Number, etc. Scammers have created a wide variety of methods to try to obtain these details from you.
Here are a few examples of common scams so you know what to look out for:
Phishing
Phishing scams are extremely common and can be sent out via email, text, or phone call. In this type of scam, the scammer pretends to be a real person or company and uses that trusted name to request personal information from you.
For example, they may pretend to be from the USPS and ask for your address and credit card so they can reroute a package to the proper location. Another popular scam is people who pretend to be from the IRS and collect money or personal information.
Malware
Malware refers to any kind of malicious software that a scammer sends you in hopes you’ll unknowingly install it on your device. Malware can be hidden within links, downloads, apps, and more.
Once you click on the link or file, the malware will install itself and run in the background, infecting your device and potentially mining it for data that it will secretly send back to the scammer.
Charity Scams
Charity scams occur when a scammer pretends to be from a non-profit or charitable organization. They ask for donations but really use the money collected for their own personal gain. These scams are more convincing and increase in popularity after real natural disasters and times of need when charities are more active.
Romance Scams
Romance scams occur mostly on online dating sites, chat sites, and social media where scammers pretend to be interested in a relationship but use that connection to ask for money or personal information.
Lottery Scams
Lottery scams occur when platforms claim you’ve won the lottery or a similar monetary prize/reward, telling you to claim it by sending them your bank account information or address so they can give you your prize. They might also claim you need to pay a fee to cover taxes to collect the money. Another tactic is asking you to pay to enter a contest that doesn’t exist.
These are just a few of the digital scams that exist in the world. Learning what they are and what tactics scammers use to target people will help you identify suspicious activity before it's too late. And it will allow you to employ the strategies listed below to help get scammers to leave you alone.
How Do I Get a Scammer To Leave Me Alone?
The best thing you can do to get a scammer to leave you alone is to never respond to them in the first place. Most of the time, when scammers call you, they’re trying to see if your phone number is even in service before they try to scam you. If you don’t respond, they won’t know you’re there and won’t bother trying to talk to you again.
The same thing goes for emails and texts. Scammers need you to respond to their initial message for their scam to have any chance of working. If you don’t send anything back, don’t click on any links, downloads, or files that have been sent to you, or better yet, don’t even open the email or text to begin with, they are very likely to leave you alone.
If you do accidentally respond because you didn't realize the message was fraudulent or if the scammer chooses to be persistent, the next best thing you can do is report, block, and delete their message. All social media apps, emails, and message sites have options that allow you to report, block, and delete numbers and emails.
Report Fraud to the FTC
Another way you can get rid of scammers is to report them to the Federal Trade Commission. They accept reports of scams, unwanted calls, attempted fraud, and any other suspicious activity in this vein. They will share your reports with law enforcement and decide if any further investigation is necessary.
How To Protect Yourself From Scammers
To reduce the number of times you have to interact with scammers, here are a few strategies you can employ to protect yourself from digital scams both before and after they happen:
- Use strong passwords: Use strong, unique passwords across all your accounts. If you think you’ve been scammed, change all of your essential passwords to lock scammers out.
- Use a second phone number app: Use a second number app like Burner and give that number out in place of your real number when signing up for accounts. Using Burner phone reduces the number of times your real number appears online and the chances of it falling into the hands of a scammer.
- Keep track of details: If you suspect you’ve been scammed, take notes on what happened, screenshot evidence, and track everything so you have a record.
- Contact institutions: In the event of a scam, contact your bank and phone company so they can freeze your accounts and help handle the situation.
- Exercise caution around people you don’t know: Never give out sensitive information to people you don’t know online.
- Trust your gut: If something feels suspicious, it probably is. Look out for red flags and always trust your instincts.
So, when will a scammer leave you alone? The best thing to do is to ignore the scammer. They will likely leave you alone because they need a response for their scam to work. If they do persist, block and report them both on the platform they contacted you and to the FTC for good measure.
If they find a way to keep bothering you after that, it might be time to involve the authorities. But the best course of action is to ignore them and make them seek the attention they so clearly desire elsewhere.
Sources:
When Will a Scammer Leave You Alone? Take These Steps | Digital Forensics
Phishing attacks: defending your organisation | NCSC.GOV.UK
