More Nebraskans are falling victim to financial scams as criminal activity becomes more sophisticated. Social media, phone calls, text messages, emails, and AI-driven technologies make it difficult to distinguish between legitimate activity and schemes designed to take your money.
Below are descriptions of some common financial scams:
- Relationship Scams, aka "Pig Butchering": These scams involve fraudsters building a long-term relationship with their victims (often online), then convincing them to invest in fake schemes or cryptocurrency platforms. Always verify investment opportunities independently. Read this article for more on pig butchering scams.
- Romance Scams: Be wary of online relationships in which the person asks for money via a wire transfer or prepaid card -- or claims they need financial help due to emergencies. This insight from the North American Securities Administrators Association provides additional tips.
- Grandkid Scams: Someone poses as your grandchild, saying they need money for an emergency and tells you to keep it a secret. Often, the scammer claims to be in legal or medical trouble. Always verify their identity – preferably through a separate phone call or in person -- before taking action. Here's more insight from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
- IRS and Social Security Scams: Government agencies will never call or email demanding immediate payment or threatening arrest. Verify such claims by contacting the agency directly. Read this guidance from the IRS.
- Smishing Scams: Smishing (a mashup of SMS – for "short message service" – and phishing) involves scammers sending fake text messages designed to trick you into clicking a malicious link or sharing personal information. These messages often appear to come from legitimate companies, banks, or even government agencies, making claims like “suspicious account activity" or "fraudulent charges on your credit card" or offers of fake refunds. Never click on unsolicited links and verify any claims by contacting the organization directly through their official channels. Check out this guidance from the FCC for more on smishing scams.
If you or someone you know is the victim of a financial scam, submit a complaint to NDBF.
