ATLANTA — With Valentine's Day on Wednesday -- beware of scammers trying to charm you right out of your money.
Scams are big business.
Last year alone, Georgians were scammed out of more than $33 million from a wide variety of schemes.
Here is a look at the top five scams and the ways the scammers are targeting you, with an eye on emptying your bank account or draining your debit card.
Let your emotions get the better of you, and you could soon find your bank account drained, your debit card making scam artists rich and your life turned upside down.
Don't fall for the sweet talk.
The lures into a scam can be quite convincing. The scammers are now doing their homework and even using artificial intelligence.
Leading the parade are the romance scams, which are allowing scammers to get rich quickly. But the key is knowing what not to do.
“The bad actors will go on the internet, and they will data mine search for certain information that is publicly available,” said Steven Baisel, the chief agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Service Atlanta Office.
Baisel’s job is to hunt down the scammers who are pouring over every picture or message you post online.
“Family history and social media apps that divulge some of the information the bad actors then use to target you,” Baisel said, adding, “They are looking for the hook to lure you in as they take aim at your emotions, and then they play on the emotions. They get the person to trust them because bad actors are saying the right things, saying the things the person looking for love wants to hear."
And if it’s not love you're after, scammers are banking on that it may be money, with get-rich schemes as the number two scam.
“They present them with a business idea or investment that is too good to be true and people fall for it,” Baisel said.
Right behind the investment and money scams are phony calls claiming a loved one is in trouble and urging you to pay up to help them.
“A lot of that is with artificial intelligence and making phone calls as though the grandchild or relative is actually calling them begging for money," Baisel said.
Don’t fall for it. If you're being scammed, call the police and let them know.
Rounding out the top five are the scams asking for a gift card as payment.
Give a code scammers want for a "gift card," and your money could be instantly gone.
You should also beware of those warnings that pop up on your computer screen, claiming you have a virus and need immediate repair.
Delete them.
Agent Baisel said simple awareness can help you avoid getting taken.
Remember to check the facts.
If you get an unexpected call or someone asking for your personal financial information by email, hang up.
“Never send money to anyone whom you do not know or have not met in person," Baisel said for his final words of advice.
The Secret Service asks you to reach out to them to report scams. They have sophisticated equipment that can track down the scammers.
11Alive has provided a list of links to both government and financial sites that explain different scams to watch out for. You can see them below.
To reach the US Secret Service to report a Scam, call: 404-331-6111.
Links to sites explaining scams to watch for
- https://www.fdic.gov/resources/consumers/consumer-news/2020-10.html
- https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/top-scammer-list.html
- https://ncdoj.gov/consumer-alert-top-scams-to-be-aware-of-in-2024/
- https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/5-financial-scams-to-avoid-in-2024-as-expert-warns-fraud-has-reached-crisis-level
- https://time.com/personal-finance/article/credit-card-scams-to-know/
- https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/the-latest-scams-you-need-to-aware-of/
- https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-security-summit-partners-warn-of-surge-in-new-client-scams-aimed-at-tax-pros-as-2024-filing-season-approaches
- https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/consumer-alerts/fraud-alert-fake-grants/