What To Do If You Paid A SCAMMER? If you’ve paid a scammer – or a fraudster – for services or goods, you’ll want to be sure you’re getting your money’s worth. Not only should you avoid responding to unsolicited emails and phone calls, but you should also avoid paying with gift cards and wire transfers. Never give your bank account information to an unknown person. 

Don’t Respond to Unsolicited Sales Calls  

Do not respond to unsolicited sales calls or emails from a company that you did not purchase. These telemarketers usually start off by getting your consent. It’s often hidden in fine print, and you have to uncheck a box to opt-in. The unsolicited sale isn’t final until you confirm it in writing. Washington law allows you three days to cancel your order. 

You can also opt-out of telemarketing altogether. Most legitimate charities and companies use the telephone to contact consumers. However, scam artists use this communication medium to rob people of their money. If a telemarketer refuses to give you the information they need to make a purchase, it’s best to ignore the call and move on to the next one. If the caller’s voice is unprofessional and the sales pitch is unprofessional, it is likely a scam. 

Don’t Pay a Scammer with a Gift Card 

Scammers will pose as representatives of a government agency or well-known company and demand payment on gift cards. Genuine businesses and government agencies will never ask for payment via gift cards. These scammers may pose as the IRS or the FBI and ask for the card number and other personal information. These scammers may use automated tasks online to pose as these legitimate entities. If a gift card request sounds too good to be true, it probably is. 

If a scammer asks you to pay them using a gift card, run away. This scam artist may pretend to be someone from the government or a trusted company like Apple or Microsoft. You should never give out your PIN number or gift card number to anyone over the phone, and be suspicious if you get a call like this. If you’re unsure, you can call the company or organization and verify that it’s genuine.  Similarly, you can ask for help from this list of reputable credit repair services.

Don’t Pay with Wire Transfer 

The best way to avoid being ripped off is to avoid sending money through a wire transfer. This method is convenient and easy to use, but it’s also highly prone to scams. If you don’t know the recipient, you should be especially wary of requests to wire money. These people often bait their victims with enticing offers like a work-at-home opportunity or a great deal on a product. They also may claim that they’ve won the lottery. 

Don’t believe the person you’re dealing with over email. They may pretend to be someone in your company or a vendor. They may also pose as a loved one or distant relative. Whether they’re talking about money transfer fraud or a scam, you should always ask the person for an explanation before sending them any money. Even if you think they’re legit, they might try to convince you to send them money through email only. If this is the case, ask for assistance from your banker or a trusted family member. 

Don’t Provide Your Bank Information  

It is very easy to spot a scammer if you receive a message or email that asks for your bank account information. Bank representatives will never ask for your bank information by email, text message, or via a link. They will also never use fear-inducing language or ask for any sensitive information via the Internet. The only way to avoid falling victim to scams is to be cautious when providing your information to an unknown sender. 

Bank account scams are incredibly dangerous and can steal your savings. Even the savviest computer user can become a victim of identity theft if they provide their bank account information to a scammer. You should always proceed with caution when a stranger asks for sensitive information, such as your banking information. Scammers can often find out how you use your bank by looking at your social media accounts or your Internet activity. Likewise, they may try to persuade you into signing up for a new loan or making a purchase, only to get your personal information. 

Don’t Provide Your Password 

Don’t provide your password to a sex scammer. This scam has been circulating for years, but it has a new twist. The extortion emails claim to have compromising pictures of you and demand payment to prevent them from being released. The scammers pretend to be successful hackers, install malware, and even take control of your webcam. Thankfully, it is relatively easy to avoid becoming a victim of this scam. 

Scammers will often ask for your password to prove their authenticity, but that doesn’t mean you’ve been hacked. Most likely, the scammer found a list of stolen passwords and matched those against a database of people’s email addresses. They then sent this email to millions of people and hoped enough people would respond to make the scam profitable. Don’t provide your password to a scammer, even if the email says that it’s a security issue.