Also known as Donation scam
Where it is usually done: SMS (Smishing)
How it can look
- Scammers will pretend to represent your bank or provider.
- Scammers will try to take advantage of people who are in trouble or difficult situations.
- Typos and grammatical errors are often a sign that this is not an official communication from the company.
- Scammers use tactics such as offering free financial aid to convince people to do what they say.
- Scammers create a sense of urgency so people will feel pressured to perform the action.
- The link will lead you to a fake website that will steal your login details.
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What it is
This is when a scammer who claims to be from your bank, credit card company or other provider says that you have been chosen to receive some form of financial aid.
What happens next is that the scammer will ask for your sensitive data (like personally identifiable information, banking and credit card details, and passwords), or make you sign up on a website that looks legitimate but is actually fake.
If you give your information, the scammer will use it to access your real account and steal your money.
Don’t be a victim of the ayuda scam. Never provide any personal or financial details and never open any links from an email or SMS.
Another form of this scam comes in the form of a call for donations for victims of some disaster. Scammers often use the name of an actual charitable institution to add legitimacy. If the institution is really asking for donations, it can be confusing as to which is genuine.
What you should do
If someone contacts you and says that a company will be providing financial aid, always verify this first by contacting the company using the official hotline. Remember, company representatives will never ask for your personal details or try to rush you into performing an action.
To help keep yourself scam proof, you should learn about the different types of scams so you know what to look out for. Read our scam types section and browse our tips to stay safe.
