Common Scams to Watch Out for in 2025

Nate Crosby |
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Common Scams to Watch Out for in 2025

Max Vesper | Research Analyst Intern, Crosby Advisory Group


According to reports from the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), in 2024 alone, scammers stole over $1.03 trillion worldwide. Every year, scammers find new ways to steal hard-earned money from unsuspecting individuals. Going into 2025, it is important to protect yourself from potential scammers, and understand the different methods that may be used.

Tech Support Scams

Tech support scams include calls, emails, text messages, or pop ups that claim to be from reputable companies like Amazon, Apple, or Microsoft. Here they may claim that a virus or issue has arisen on your computer or device that needs to be taken care of immediately. To do so, they will require you to give them important personal information, or install software (malware) to solve the problem. By just getting people to click links or give just a little too much information, scammers can completely take over devices and gain access to all kinds of sensitive information. Before giving your information or installing something, make sure to contact the company claiming to help you to verify they are real.

Emergency Scams

Similar to tech support scams, emergency scams occur when victims receive calls or messages claiming to be someone important, such as a relative, friend, or even a celebrity needs urgent help. To do so, scammers can pull public information about someone important to a victim from the internet and use it to convince them that they are who they say they are. Scammers have the ability to disguise their voice to appear to be a loved one or even use artificial intelligence (AI) to create pictures and videos that appear to be someone you know. With pressure to respond and not enough time to think, victims may panic and send money or sensitive information without hesitation.

Prize Scams

Similar to emergency scams that threaten victims with a problem, prize scams entice victims with some form of an amazing reward. These scams often take place when someone receives an anonymous message saying they have won something exciting, or when someone is told that they just have to pay a small fee to receive something significant. The best way to avoid this kind of scam is to realize that if something sounds too good to be true, it most likely is.

Fake Online Store Scams

Another scam involves the creation of fake websites that appear to be selling real products for eye-catching prices. Scammers will pay for advertising, leading victims to fake websites where they believe they are finding excellent deals, when in reality their financial information is taken during the ordering process. These online store scams can also take place on online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace and eBay. It is important for buyers on these platforms to ensure that the product that they are buying is legitimate, and that if they do make a payment that it will be covered if they do not receive the product, they thought they were receiving.

“Accidental” Texts

A newer method of scamming that has shown up recently are text messages that appear to be sent to the wrong person, saying something innocent like, “I’ll be there soon!” The motive behind these texts is to get victims to respond back saying that they must have the wrong number. These innocent looking texts can actually be scammers using AI bots waiting for you to respond, where they can eventually coerce a victim into revealing important personal information or trick them into clicking harmful links. These AI bot texts sometimes try to entice victims by attempting to create relationships. Recently, a French woman spent over a year convinced she had built an online relationship with famous actor Brad Pitt. She was so convinced that it was real that she divorced her husband and sent the supposed “Brad Pitt” over $800,000 because he claimed to need it for a kidney treatment.

There are several more scams to watch out for. Click HERE to learn about common frauds and scams to watch out for according to the FBI.

Ways to Avoid Scams

One tactic that scammers use often is creating a sense of urgency to force victims to do something impulsively while their emotions are running high. They will urge victims that if they do not act quickly there will be dire consequences, or you will miss out on a once and a lifetime opportunity. In all cases, it is important to pause and analyze the situation before acting out with emotion. The Federal Trade Commision (FTC) lists some of the best ways to avoid a scam:

  • Block unwanted calls and text messages
  • Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect
  • Resist the pressure to act immediately
  • Know how scammers tell you to pay
  • Stop and talk to someone you trust

And remember, Brad Pitt doesn’t need your money, so if he asks for it, it's probably not Brad Pitt. As a financial advisor, we are here to help you. If you ever receive contact from a financial institution requesting sensitive information, please don't hesitate to call our office to confirm it's legit before responding. 

 

 

Crosby Advisory Group, LLC is a registered investment advisor providing financial planning, insurance and business growth strategies. This newsletter is for information purposes and does not represent individual investment advice. Not all investments are suitable for all people. You should carefully consider all risks and fees before making an investment.