Scams can take many forms, but most are designed to trick you into sharing personal information, sending money, giving someone access to your accounts, or making a payment you did not intend to make. Fidelity Bank customers and other consumers in NEPA and the Lehigh Valley may encounter scams through phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, websites, or even in-person contact.
This page describes common types of scams and how they typically work.
You can learn some of the techniques for these scams, visit Can you spot a scam? Warning signs everyone should know.
If you believe you have already responded to a scam or provided information to a scammer, visit What to Do If You Have Been Scammed for steps to take.
Scams Can Take More Than One Form
Scams do not always fit into one category. For example, a scammer may use a bank impersonation phone call, send a fraudulent text message, and then direct you to a phishing website. Other scams may combine social engineering with fraudulent payments or attempts to obtain account credentials.
Common Scams
- Phishing Scams
- Smishing Scams
- Vishing and Impersonation Scams
- Bank Impersonation Scams
- Romance Scams
- Investment and Cryptocurrency Scams
- Government Impersonation Scams
- Tech Support Scams
- Online Shopping Scams
- Lottery, Sweepstakes and Prize Scams
- Grandparent and Family Emergency Scams
- Business Email Compromise
- Invoice and Payment Scams
- Check Scams
- Overpayment Scams
- Employment and Job Scams
- Charity Scams
- Mortgage and Real Estate Scams
- Utility and Service Scams
Phishing Scams
Phishing scams use fraudulent emails, websites, or other online messages to persuade you to provide sensitive information. A message may appear to come from a bank, business, government agency, or another organization you know.
A phishing message may direct you to a website that looks legitimate and ask you to enter information such as a username, password, account number, or other personal information.
Common channels:
- Fake websites
- Online advertisements
- Social media messages
Example: You receive an email claiming there is a problem with your bank account and are instructed to sign in through a provided link.
Smishing Scams
Smishing is phishing conducted through text messages or SMS.
A scammer may send a message claiming that a payment needs to be verified, an account has been locked, a package cannot be delivered, or an unusual transaction has occurred.
The message may contain a link or telephone number intended to lead you to a fraudulent website or to a scammer.
Example: A text message claims that your debit card has been temporarily locked and provides a link to “verify” your account.
Vishing and Impersonation Scams
Vishing scams use telephone calls or voice messages to obtain information or persuade someone to send money.
Scammers may pretend to represent a bank, government agency, technology company, law enforcement agency, or another trusted organization.
Caller ID information can be manipulated, so the telephone number displayed on your phone does not necessarily establish who is calling.
Example: Someone calls claiming to be from your bank and asks you to provide a verification code to “secure” your account.
Bank Impersonation Scams
In a bank impersonation scam, someone pretends to be a representative of your bank.
The scammer may claim there has been suspicious activity on your account and create a sense of urgency. The objective may be to obtain account information, login credentials, authentication codes, or money.
A scammer may also use a bank’s name, logo, telephone number, or other identifying information to appear legitimate.
Romance Scams
Romance scams begin when a scammer develops a relationship with someone through a dating website, social media platform, messaging service, or another online channel.
After establishing trust, the scammer may ask for money or claim to have an emergency, financial problem, medical expense, travel problem, or investment opportunity.
The person requesting the money may never be who they claim to be.
Investment and Cryptocurrency Scams
Investment scams promise opportunities to make money through investments, cryptocurrency, trading, or other financial products.
Scammers may use websites, social media, text messages, online advertisements, or personal relationships to promote fraudulent investments.
Some scams involve fake investment platforms that display fabricated account balances or investment returns.
Example: Someone you met online encourages you to transfer money to a cryptocurrency platform and promises unusually high returns.
Government Impersonation Scams
Government impersonation scams involve someone pretending to represent a government agency.
Scammers may claim that you owe money, have violated a law, have an outstanding warrant, or must provide personal information to resolve a government matter.
The scammer may demand immediate payment or threaten legal consequences.
Commonly impersonated organizations can include government agencies, courts, law enforcement agencies, and tax authorities.
Tech Support Scams
In a tech support scam, someone claims that your computer, phone, or another device has a security problem.
The scammer may ask you to install software, provide remote access to your device, disclose passwords, or pay for unnecessary services.
Some scams begin with a phone call, while others use pop-up messages or fraudulent websites.
Example: A pop-up warning claims your computer has been infected and provides a telephone number for “technical support.”
Online Shopping Scams
Online shopping scams involve fraudulent sellers, websites, advertisements, or listings.
A scammer may advertise merchandise at an unusually attractive price, accept payment, and then fail to provide the merchandise. A fraudulent website may also be designed to collect payment or personal information.
These scams can appear on social media, online marketplaces, search engines, or standalone websites.
Lottery, Sweepstakes and Prize Scams
In a prize scam, someone tells you that you have won money, merchandise, or another valuable prize.
The scammer then asks you to pay a fee, provide financial information, purchase gift cards, or send money before receiving the supposed prize.
You may be told that the payment is required for taxes, shipping, processing, insurance, or another reason.
Grandparent and Family Emergency Scams
Family-emergency scams involve someone pretending to be a relative or someone acting on a relative’s behalf.
The scammer may claim that the family member has been arrested, injured, stranded, hospitalized, or otherwise needs money immediately.
The scammer may ask you to keep the situation secret or send money through a payment method that is difficult to reverse.
Business Email Compromise
Business email compromise, sometimes called BEC, targets businesses and their employees.
A scammer may impersonate an executive, employee, vendor, customer, or business partner and request a payment, wire transfer, change in payment instructions, or sensitive information.
These scams can be particularly damaging because the request may appear to be part of a normal business transaction.
Example: A fraudulent email appears to come from a company’s executive and asks an employee to send a wire transfer to a new account.
Invoice and Payment Scams
Invoice scams involve fraudulent or altered invoices and payment requests.
A scammer may impersonate a vendor or business partner and provide different payment instructions. The request may look similar to a legitimate invoice.
Businesses should be particularly cautious when an existing vendor suddenly provides new payment instructions.
Check Scams
Check scams can involve counterfeit checks, altered checks, fraudulent payments, or requests to deposit a check and send some of the money elsewhere.
A scammer may claim that you have been overpaid and ask you to return the difference.
Another variation involves someone sending a check and asking you to forward part of the proceeds to another person or account.
Overpayment Scams
An overpayment scam typically involves a person sending you a check or payment for more than you are owed.
The scammer then asks you to return the difference.
The original payment may later be determined to be fraudulent, leaving you responsible for funds that were sent elsewhere.
This type of scam can target individuals, businesses, sellers, landlords, and others who receive payments.
Employment and Job Scams
Employment scams advertise fake jobs or contact people with fraudulent employment opportunities.
The scammer may ask for personal information, money, equipment payments, or financial account information as part of the supposed hiring process.
Some scams send a fraudulent check to the applicant and then instruct the applicant to send money elsewhere.
Charity Scams
Charity scams exploit people’s desire to help others.
Scammers may impersonate legitimate charities or create fake organizations, particularly after disasters, during holidays, or following major public events.
The scammer may request donations through a website, telephone call, email, text message, or social media account.
Mortgage and Real Estate Scams
Mortgage and real estate scams can target homeowners, homebuyers, sellers, and borrowers.
Examples include fraudulent mortgage assistance offers, fake property listings, wire-transfer fraud involving real estate transactions, and requests to send closing funds to an altered account.
Real estate transactions can involve large amounts of money, making payment-instruction fraud particularly serious.
Utility and Service Scams
Utility scams involve someone pretending to represent an electric, gas, water, telephone, internet, or other service provider.
The scammer may claim that your service will be disconnected unless you make an immediate payment.
Payment may be requested through methods that are difficult to reverse.