Scammers call, text, or email you pretending to be from an organization you trust, such as the IRS, law enforcement, or your credit union and convince you to send them money or share personal information. They can even fake the caller ID to reinforce the idea that they can be trusted.

They might claim that a family member is sick and needs money urgently for care, or that you owe money to the government and will be arrested if you don't pay immediately.

Don't fall for it - scammers use pressure tactics to get you to act fast without thinking it through. Always verify the identity of the person contacting you. Don't be afraid to hang up and call them at a phone number you can verify and not one they provided to you. If it's really them, they won't mind!

Scammers spend weeks or months gaining your trust by making you believe that what you have is true love. Eventually they tell you they need you to send them money for something like a plane ticket or an emergency.

Romance scammers make up reasons they can't see you in person, such as they live far away or are in the military.

Only send money to people you've met in person and trust that they are who they say they are.

Scammers will tell you that you've won a lottery or prize but you don't recall entering any recently.

Signs of a lottery scam:

• You have to pay to get the prize - Real prizes are free. If you're asked to pay a deposit or shipping fee, it's not a legitimate prize.
• The more you pay, the higher the odds of winning - Winning a prize should always be by chance, not by paying to win. Scammers will do this to get more money from you.
• You have to give financial information - You should never need to provide your bank account or credit card number to claim a prize.

These scams come in many forms, including employment scams and online marketplace scams. Generally, these scams involve fraudsters sending you more money than agreed upon and then asking you to send back the difference via a third party, like Zelle, wire transfers, or gift cards. The check payment they sent you will then bounce and now you're out what you sent them plus accrued fees.

It could be that you sold them something online or got hired for a job but must let them send you money to buy a uniform or tools for that job. There are many different ruses they could use to get you to comply.

Avoid this scam by accepting payment only through official channels and don't send any money back until you've verified the legitimacy of the sender and the funds.