Five Summer Scams to Watch Out For This Year
Home Help Center Five Summer Scams to Watch Out For This Year
- Summer is here, which means fun in the sun! However, it also means scammers. Some common summer scams include employment scams, travel scams, moving scams, social media scams and ticket scams.
- If you are looking for a summer job, avoid offers with high hourly rates for little work, requirements for you to pay for your supplies, offers that ask for personal information like your Social Security number and offers that seem suspicious.
- If you are traveling, avoid too-good-to-be-true offers. Some scammers create fake websites or steal photos of real properties to lure their victims. Others rely on genuine sites to post fake listings. Also, don’t overshare on social media to avoid a social media scam.
- If you plan to move, choose a legitimate moving company by checking licenses, reading terms and conditions and reviewing reviews.
- If you want to purchase tickets to an event, only buy your tickets from legitimate, trusted retailers. If you cannot get tickets from the original source, you can go through a trusted reseller.
- To learn more about summer scams, or if you believe you were the victim of an identity crime, contact the Identity Theft Resource Center. Speak with an advisor by phone (888.400.5530) or via live chat on the company website, idtheftcenter.org.
Pass the sunscreen and umbrella because summer is here! We are not the only ones who are happy to throw off those long sleeves and head out into the sunshine. Scammers also look forward to warmer weather to target victims with specific summer scams.
Employment Scams
Teachers, bus drivers, college students, residents of resort areas or anyone with some spare time can make a lot of extra money, especially in the summer months. Identity criminals prey on people looking for flexibility, significant income and easy work that will not conflict with other jobs. The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) saw a 118 percent increase in job scam victims in 2023 compared to the previous year. Here are a few telltale signs that a job offer might not be genuine and should be avoided:
- Very high hourly rates for basically no work
- Requirements that you pay for supplies or training materials
- Any offer that requests your complete identity (ex., asking you for your Social Security number) in order to apply
- Any online offers that contain misspellings, vague information, links to click or software to download
Travel Scams
The myth of jetting off on vacation every summer is not a reality for everyone. Lots of travelers rely on specials, last-minute deals, gig economy platforms like Airbnb or Uber and other options to save money while still taking a trip. It is important to be aware of travel summer scams before you act.
Before providing your payment details or any other identifying information, be on the lookout for too-good-to-be-true offers, like $99 for airfare and accommodations in the Bahamas or “I bought this non-refundable week-long stay in Miami and cannot go” messages that offer you very low prices. Some summer scammers go so far as to create entirely fake websites or steal photos of real properties to lure their victims. Others rely on genuine sites, like Airbnb, to post fake listings and steal money. Make sure you avoid shady opportunities and investigate options thoroughly before buying.
Moving Scams
Summer is a popular time to move, especially for recent graduates or families who let their kids finish the school year. Moving scams can strike anytime but are especially prevalent during the summer. There are many different kinds of moving scams. Most of them involve hidden fees, estimates far less than the final bill and companies that constantly change their names to evade bad reviews online. To avoid a moving scam:
- Check a mover’s license. All interstate movers must be licensed by law, and some states may also require licenses for local movers.
- Understand the terms and conditions. Read your contract and understand the ins and outs before signing.
- Read the reviews. Compare moving company reviews to previous customer experiences. However, don’t just look at the star rating. Also, read what other customers say to get the whole story.
- Ask for a recommendation. Get recommendations from people you trust, like family and friends.
Social Media Scams
Social media scams are not just summer scams. They happen year-round, particularly social media account takeovers. In 2023, social media account takeovers comprised 30 percent of accounts reported as taken over to the ITRC, a two percentage point increase over the previous year. It was the most reported type of account takeover to the ITRC. However, social media scams don’t have to be tied to account takeovers. They can range from romance scams and phishing attempts to burglars who scope out who is not home based on their posts, which is more likely while taking that summer vacation.
Be mindful of what you post online, especially if you are traveling. Also, beware of friend requests from accounts you do not recognize or requests from people you thought you were already connected to (i.e., hacked or spoofed accounts). Ensure you are not oversharing or giving away too many of your details to anyone who can see them. Skip over messages from accounts you do not recognize.
Ticket Scams
Outdoor concerts, music festivals and big-name concert tours are great summer fun if you do not fall victim to a ticket scam. The internet is flooded with everything from scalpers who overcharge for a legitimate ticket to bogus sites that steal your personal information and sell you a non-existent ticket.
One of the ways to avoid ticket summer scams is to purchase tickets from legitimate, trusted retailers. If you cannot get tickets from the original source, you can go through a trusted reseller. Do your homework and make sure you are dealing with a reputable company.
Contact the ITRC
If you have additional questions about summer scams to watch out for or believe you have been the victim of an identity crime, contact the ITRC. You can speak with an expert advisor toll-free by phone (888.400.5530) or by using the live chat function on the company website. Just visit www.idtheftcenter.org to get started.
This blog was originally published on 6/24/19 and was updated on 4/5/24
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