Avoiding Impersonation Scams – AMAC | #socialmedia | #cybersecurity | #infosecurity | #hacker

Scams are dishonest schemes used to cheat innocent people out of money or steal their personal identifying information. Impersonation scams involve unscrupulous people pretending to be someone they are not. They use this form of trickery for the same no-good purpose of cheating nice people or deceiving vulnerable folks into giving away information. These impersonators seek to gain things like bank account numbers, credit card information, social security numbers, and other personal identifying data. In some cases, potential victims may be talked into buying gift cards, a tell-tale warning sign of a scam. The scammer may demand or instruct the victim to provide the claim code on the gift card. Understand that no legitimate transaction requires you to pay with gift cards. If you are asked to provide a gift card to someone who contacts you, alarms should go off in your head that this is a scam. Cut off contact immediately and report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission.


Impersonation scammers are criminals who trick people into believing their false identities. They may communicate with their intended victims using various methods, including person-to-person contact, or reach out by phone, message, email, or social media platforms. They typically pretend to be some or any of the following: police officers, IRS, FBI, or Secret Service Agents, U.S. postal workers, lawyers, and more. Here’s what to know about these types of scams:


  • Police officer impersonator scam – In this scam, the scammer impersonates a member of the police department. Often, they will ask for money or gift cards and threaten potential victims, stating that a warrant for arrest will be issued for those who fail to comply with their demands.  Please be reminded that police officers will not contact you demanding money or ask you to bu ..

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