Avoid Online Scams

Young adults and teens are often targets for many scams, like renting apartments, cashing checks, buying tickets, . Chances are, you or one of your friends has already come across one! Young adults are likely to be targeted because they often have tighter budgets, less experience, and move around more. The resources below offer excellent tips and guidance in how to recognize and avoid scams, which can help you save money and time. Not to mention decrease the threat of identity theft! The most important thing to remember with all scams is:

IF IT SEEMS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS!

In general, watch out for:

High pressure tactics: when someone is pressuring you to make a decision right away, especially one that involves money, that's a huge red flag.

Unable to meet in person: They're out of town, something came up, or they're generally unavailable to meet in person. They will usually ask you to send them money to hold your item, because "it won't stay on the market long!!" DO NOT SEND MONEY. (High pressure tactics involved!)

Offers that seem much lower than the going rate: do some research ahead of time and have an idea what the average price in your area is.

Fake listings: scammers often use photos and/or information they've scraped from legitimate sites. Do a reverse Google search, check maps, and do an internet using the information they give you.

Vague, little information, sketchy vibe, or mistakes in spelling, grammar, and capital letters: Scammers will often refrain from giving specific info like addresses and prices and insist that you DM them to get the info. They're not willing to have those conversations on the public internet. They may also create fake documents to show ownership, identification, or other legal certificates.

Wire or send them money: Scammers will usually try to get you to wire them money, because they can just disappear with it and it's almost impossible to trace. Cashiers checks and even personal checks can also be very difficult to trace. Scammers are also using Venmo and other cash transfer apps to get your money, so be careful! One very popular scam is where the scammer sends you a check, then claims they accidentally sent you too much and would you just wire them back the extra? Their check is going to bounce, and you will be out the money you sent them back, plus the fees your bank will charge you for the bounced check. If you're not sure about a check you received, contact your bank first.