Other Scams
Phishing attempts are often after your personal information. This is typically in order to more easily commit other crimes, or to engage in fraud against you. Scammers will come up with elaborate strategies in order to steal money or financial information from you.
Tutoring Scam
The tutoring scam will often target professors and graduate students who teach math or music. The scam will often begin by asking for available times and a price. Usually, the scammer will say that their son/daughter is in the 7th or 8th grade and needs tutoring for algebra or a musical instrument.
Here's a real-world example of this scam that was sent to a graduate student:
If the scammer gets a reply, they will immediately ask for a price, and an address to send a check. Once that information is provided, they will come up with an elaborate story about how they accidentally sent a check for more money than you had agreed to. They will then ask you to cash it and then send the difference back.
The trick here is that the check that they send you in the mail is fradulent and will bounce. By this time, they expect that you had sent a check with your own money to make up for the difference in price. Your bank may even show that the money was deposited into your account.
Scams targeting international students
Unfortunately, scammers sometimes target international students at Kent State. The scammers will often make initial contact to the student by phone call, text message or email. They will claim to work for a US government agency such as the Social Security Administration (SSA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Caller ID information is often spoofed, meaning the victim may get a call with the caller ID appearing to be from a US government agency.
The scammers will threaten the victim with arrest, deportation, or heavy fines. They may claim that the victim has not filed some critical paperwork, that the victim's visa has expired, or that the victim's information has been fraudulently used. They may even claim that the victim has only a matter of hours to resolve the issue.
Please note: US government agencies will never contact you by phone call, text message or email.
The victim will be led to believe that they will need to pay money in order to clear up a filing error or renew some paperwork. Sometimes, scammers will even threaten the victim with arrest if a fine is not paid. They will ask for personal information and may even request banking details. In some versions of this scam, the victim may be asked to pay by purchasing gift cards.
Tech Support Scams
Tech support scammers want you to believe you have a very serious problem with your computer, such as a major virus. You may receive a request either by a pop-up window, an email, or even possibly a phone call from "tech support" telling you that your machine is infected, and it needs to be fixed right away. They will ask you for a payment to fix the defects or even remote access to your computer. Often, they will ask you to pay by wiring money, putting it on a gift card, prepaid card or cash reload card, or to send money using a money transfer app like Venmo or Cashapp.
One thing that sets these scams apart for ordinary phishing is that they are often harder to detect and more complicated. Being aware is the first step to help make sure that your information is secure, and that your money is not stolen.
Remember: If you get a phone call you weren't expecting from a person who says there's a problem with your computer - Hang up!
Keep these things in mind to avoid a tech Support Scam:
- Legitimate tech companies will not contact you by phone, email or text message to tell you there is a problem with your computer.
- Security pop-up warnings from real tech companies will never ask you to call a phone number.
Pop-up Warnings
Tech support scammers may even try to lure you into their trap with a pop-up window that appears on your computer screen. It might look like an error message from your operating system or antivirus software, and it might use logos from trusted companies or websites. The message in the window warns of a security issue on your computer and tells you to call a phone number to get help. See example below:
If you get this kind of pop-up window on your computer, do not call the number!
If you think there may be a problem with your computer, you should update your computer's security software and use it to run a scan. If you need help fixing a problem, go to someone you know and trust. Many software companies offer support online or by phone. Stores that sell technical equipment will offer technical support in person. The most important thing is to reach out to someone who you trust.
Google Voice Scam
Scammers will target people who post things for sale on sites such as Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. They will also target people who post online that they are looking for help finding their lost pet.
You may be contacted by someone who says that they want to buy something that you advertised for sale or that they found your lost pet. Once they have your attention, they will start to use social engineering on you. They will ask you to "verify" your identity before they commit to sending you money for a purchase or return your lost pet. The scammer may tell you that they have heard about fake online listings and want to verify that you really are the person you say you are.
They will tell you that the verification will happen over text message. You will then be sent a Google Voice verification code and, which the scammer will request you to send back to them. If you give them the verification code, they will use it to create a Google Voice number that is linked to your phone number. The Google Voice services provides a phone number that can be used to make calls or send text messages from a web browser or a mobile device. Now, a Google Voice account that is linked to your number can be used by the scammer to run other scams.