We Can't Stop Falling for These 4 Identity Theft Scams. Here's How to Spot Them (2024)

Identity scams are wreaking havoc on Americans’ financial lives, and the list of schemes to watch out for only seems to grow.

You have to be mindful of scams during tax season, around Valentine’s Day and even when trying to snag a deal on Prime Day. And fraudsters are getting more creative with their tactics, making it easier to accidentally fall for a scam.

Last year alone, consumers lost over $10 billion to fraud, according to Federal Trade Commission data released earlier this year. The agency received approximately 2.6 million fraud reports from individuals last year.

You can’t always stop bad actors from getting their hands on your data, but there’s a lot you can do to protect yourself. Here are the four main identity theft scams experts say we’re falling for the most.

Google Voice scams

Google Voice scams were the most reported type of fraud to the Identity Theft Resource Center in 2023, according to President and CEO Eva Velasquez.

This works by getting a victim on the phone for the purposes of getting them to create a Google Voice account. Google Voice numbers are virtual phone numbers that can be used to place and receive calls from anywhere in the world.

Many criminals lure victims on the phone through “for sale” listings on online marketplaces. Many times, bad actors are responding to posts for available pets or apartments for rent. The fraudster will then request that they create a Google Voice account for you with your personal information so they can confirm your identity before completing the purchase.

Once the Google Voice number is set up, the scammer can use the new Google Voice number to scam other people. The damage to you resulting from this scam is minimal, but these acts will be linked to your name and your identity profile. You may even receive unexpected phone calls from unhappy people that have been scammed via the Google Voice phone number linked to your account.

If you’ve fallen for a Google Voice Scam, the ITRC has a video explaining how to reclaim your number. To avoid this scam in the future, don’t share any verification code Google sends you. Also, take your time when buying and selling items online and be wary of any phone call you take from a person you don’t know.

Job and employment scams

Even though job and employment scams made up just 9% of fraud cases reported to the ITRC last year, they’re an emerging trend, Velasquez said. These scams can take on different forms, but most involve a recruiter reaching out via LinkedIn or via text message about a job opportunity with a fake job posting.

Victims desperate for work will go through an entire recruiting and hiring process, filling out onboarding paperwork with their home address, bank account information and Social Security number, only to find out a cybercriminal was only after their personal identifiable data.

Data from the ITRC shows that more than double the amount (118%) of job scams were reported to the agency in 2023 compared to the previous year. Most were carried out through job boards and professional websites like LinkedIn. However, many of these scams are initiated over text or WhatsApp, which is a clear red flag.

“It’s not really a recruiter, and there is no real job,” Velasquez said, adding if you’re worried you’re being scammed, you should verify your candidacy with the company. It’s also wise to do a deep Google search on the company, if you’ve never heard of it before. If something feels off to you, it probably is.

Romance scams

Lynette Owens, who serves as vice president of global consumer education and marketing at cybersecurity company Trend Micro, told CNET that romance scams are particularly effective at conning people out of their money. Specifically, “pig butchering” is especially prevalent right now. This involves scammers “fattening up” their victims with notions of love before they pounce.

Criminals either create a fake dating profile or reach out to an unsuspecting victim directly. As trust and admiration grows, the fraudster convinces the victim to join in on a seemingly legitimate and profitable investment opportunity -- typically with the promise of high returns. They might even tout fraudulent investment portfolios to convince victims of the legitimacy of the venture.

The goal of this scam is building a relationship with the victim over time so they can “eventually ask for money or personal information under various pretenses,” said Owens. She adds that the emotional manipulation involved in these scams makes them particularly effective.

The FTC says you can avoid romance scams by never sending money to someone you haven’t met in person. One way to see if they’re scamming you? Try doing a reverse image search of the person’s profile picture. If the photo is associated with another name, it’s likely a scam.

Financial account takeovers

Account takeovers involve fraudsters gaining unauthorized access to a customer’s financial accounts. This can happen in different ways, but usually a con artist will trick you into giving up your login credentials or PII through phishing schemes by posing as a member of a legitimate organization. Examples of this can be an unprompted call from your bank asking you to confirm your account information or a fake text with a link about a missed package.

If the victim takes any bait, the criminal will use malicious links, attachments, or simple instructions to obtain sensitive account information such as a username and password or Social Security number. From there, they can steal your identity and take over or create new accounts in your name, said Michael Scheumack, chief marketing and innovation officer at IdentityIQ.

Making matters worse, consumers are known to utilize the same usernames and passwords across multiple accounts. So once scammers know your login credentials on one account, they will try to gain access to others.

“When a user inputs the same credentials across accounts, it increases the likelihood of fraudsters gaining access and exploiting the user’s identity for personal gain,” Hubert Behaghel, chief technology officer at fraud prevention company Veriff, told CNET.

It’s important to utilize strong password hygiene, two-factor authentication and even consider using a password manager to avoid account takeovers. Also, be skeptical of unprompted emails, texts or phone calls that request an urgent response.

What if I become a victim of fraud?

If you think you’ve fallen for a scam or are a victim of identity fraud or theft, immediately report your case to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and file a police report.

We also recommend setting up fraud alerts on your Experian, Equifax and TransUnion credit report. This way, you’ll get alerted if anyone tries to access your credit file or open new accounts in your name.

If you know your data has been leaked in a breach, you may want to freeze your credit reports so that no one can open new credit accounts in your name -- even you. You’ll be able to unfreeze your credit reports to file for a new credit card, car loan or mortgage when you need to, and refreeze them once you’re done.

To help protect yourself from all scams, be cautious about who you share your Social Security number with. Experts also advise you to refrain from sharing any personal information on social media, such as your email address or the names of family members. It’s also a good idea to get antivirus software installed on your computer to fight malware.

Additionally, signing up for identity theft protection and monitoring services can also help you avoid identity theft in the future. These companies provide 24/7 monitoring of your credit reports, the dark web, your identity and all your financial accounts on your behalf with the goal of spotting signs of fraud before thieves can finish the job.