Imposter scams: what you need to know

MANSFIELD — Fraud comes in many forms, from phony investment opportunities to fake sweepstakes and lotteries.

One of the most commonly reported forms of fraud is imposter scams, according to data from the Federal Trade Commission.

Imposter scams occur when a scammer pretends to be someone you trust — whether it be a business, government entity, family member or friend.

Last month, Richland Source published the story of a widow who was scammed out of thousands in an online romance scam.

Imposter scams are often associated with older adults, but data from the Federal Trade Commission shows fraud impacts everyone.

While older adults who are scammed tend to loose more money on average, people in their 30s and 40s reported the highest level of fraud victimization per age group.

Victoria Hicks knows what it’s like to be targeted in a desperate moment. After a deer hit and totaled her car, Hicks’ mother reached out to let her know about a vehicle she’d seen for sale on Facebook. 

The profile name and photo matched someone Hicks knew in real life — but it wasn’t actually them. 

Hicks didn’t realize something was until she was standing in a parking lot waiting to hand off a deposit. The fake Facebook friend sent a message saying they couldn’t make it and asked her to purchase a $500 gift card and send her the code instead.

“I was so desperate for a car, I didn’t even think twice about verifying it with somebody I knew on Facebook,” Hicks said. “But they had cloned their account.”

Hicks, who works as a navigator supervisor for the Area Agency on Aging, said scammers often use scare tactics and a sense of urgency. They may claim to be representing a legitimate business like a bank or utility company.

“They’ll say, ‘You have to go get a Walmart card for $500 or we’re going to shut off your gas tomorrow,’” Hick said. 

“They create that sense of urgency, which immediately … your fight or flight is kicked in, so you’re not thinking rationally.”

Scammers impersonate family members, government agencies

Other tricks, like grandparent scams, also weaponize a sense of urgency. Scammers gain access to personal information through avenues like social media, then call and impersonate a grandchild or other close relative. 

In those situations, a bad actor posing as a loved one may claim to be in a crisis and need immediate financial assistance, according to an article from the Federal Trade Commission.

Romance scams occur when an individual believes they are in a relationship and the perpetrator tricks them into sending money, personal or financial information. Romance scammers may also convince a victim to launder money or items or deposit fraudulent checks, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Romance scammers often create fake profiles on dating sites and apps or social media sites like Instagram and Facebook. Their playbook often includes making up excuses for why they can’t meet in person — they live far away, they’re in the military, they’re traveling internationally, they work on an offshore oil rig.

After building up a sense of trust, they begin to ask for money. A scammer might claim they need help paying medical or legal bills. They might say they want to visit their victim and ask for funds for a visa application or plane ticket.

Scammers often ask their victims to send money in certain ways, like money transfer apps, gift card codes or cryptocurrency, that make funds difficult to recover.

In other cases, scammers might offer to help victims financially. They may claim to have an investment opportunity or ask their mark to provide their bank account information so the scammer can make a deposit.

Another type of romance scam — sextortion — involves criminals who convince people to share explicit photos or videos of themselves, then threaten to make them public.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, reports of sextortion increased more than eightfold between 2019 and 2023. People under age 30 are the most likely to report sextortion, often through social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat.