Top 3 Scams In The USA In 2018

Top 3 Scams In The USA In 2018

With the first quarter of the year already behind us, 2018 has seen countless new phone scams circulating throughout the US.

Here we take a look at three of the top scams so far this year to keep an eye out for.

The first scam that has been widely reported revolves around the new Medicare Cards that have been rolled out in 2018. A series of scams have been reported whereby victims are being asked over the phone for financial information in order to obtain their new cards. Medicare have previously stated that enrolees will not have to do anything to receive a new card and they will never initiate calls to ask for any information over the phone.

Another phone scam that has been circulating in 2018 but has gained traction in recent weeks is the ‘Utility Scam’. Scammers are calling members of the public and demanding payment for their utilities, threatening to shut them off immediately. Although this is a scam that has been around for a long time, scammers have become more sophisticated and reports have been made of scammers being in possession of specific details about the victims and relaying these over the phone to make themselves appear more genuine.

Another prolific phone scam that has emerged in 2018 and is still spreading has been targeting the Chinese speaking population in the US. The FTC has received reports of scammers purporting to be from the Chinese Consulate asking for personal and financial information from members of the Chinese community, simply for them to avoid the risk of ‘getting into trouble’.

With people falling victims to these scams and many more every day in the US, now more than ever we would advise people to stay vigilant and never give out personal or financial information over the phone.

Whilst this may seem like obvious advice to some people, the levels of sophistication and tactics being used by scammers now, make it easier for them to trick individuals into believing they are legitimate.

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