The warning signs

These are the most important warning signs to recognize to protect yourself from becoming a victim of financial fraud.

• Unsolicited Communication: Receiving unexpected emails, texts, calls, or even a knock on the door requesting personal or financial information.
• Pressure to Act Quickly: Scammers often create a sense of urgency, insisting you must respond immediately to avoid missing out on an opportunity or to give them what they demand.
• Too Good to Be True: Promotions, giveaways, or investment opportunities that promise something free or a suspiciously high return on investment.
• Oddities: Communication oddities, such as a strange email address, unprofessional formatting, foreign phone number, or unfamiliar website URL.
• Unusual Payment Methods: Being asked to pay via wire transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency — which are nearly impossible to trace and recover.