What can I do about all these scams? Tips and tricks to keep you and your loved ones safe
The South Carolina Lowcountry has long been a safe haven for the elderly and retirees. With the frequent sunshine, laid-back lifestyle, easy beach access and breathtaking views of nature, it’s an easy spot to call home. But there’s an unfortunate downside to living in the Lowcountry … scams.
Beaufort County residents have often been the targets of scams, and they are practically inescapable in the area. South Carolina alone has the seventh-highest rate of fraud cases in the U.S.
Furthermore, the state’s higher median age leaves Beaufort County residents vulnerable to scammers’ tactics. National data shows older adults are disproportionately affected by such crimes.
With the scam industry constantly changing, new schemes are constantly on the rise, with new tactics popping up across the Lowcountry almost weekly.
Types of scams
Here is a running Grift List of the scams reported to Beaufort County, along with some other common scams that easily target older residents.
Crypto and/or Bitcoin: According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), these kinds of scams have increased by 900% since 2020 and are one of the hardest scams to trace. According to Coin ATM Radar, there are about 30,000 Bitcoin ATMs in the United States. To scam you, they create the illusion of profitability by impersonating as a cryptocurrency business or professional and promising you expensive items in return for your payment. They will also trick you into depositing your money into nonexistent platforms or use malware and hacking techniques through online links.
Contractors: These scammers will pose as various kinds of home contractors. These tactics are some of the most common:
- Knock on your door looking for business because they are “in the area”
- Say they have materials left over from a previous job
- Pressure you for an immediate decision
- Ask you to pay for everything upfront or only accept cash
- Ask you to get any required building permits
- Suggest that you borrow money from a lender only they know
Phone solicitors: Phone scam attempts are difficult to avoid entirely. To scam you into giving money, they will threaten arrests, pressure you to make immediate decisions or demand you pay in certain ways. Phone scams come in many forms, here are some of the most common:
- Debt relief and credit repair scams
- Business and investment scams
- Charity scams
- Extended car warranties
- “Free” trials
- Loan scams
- Prize and lottery scams
- Travel scams and timeshare scams.
Religious organizations: These scammers often pose as pastors, preachers and priests or other religious leaders. These impostors persuade congregants into spending hundreds of dollars on gift cards, supposedly for people in need. These scams often start with a message like: “Can you do me a favor?”
How to identify a scam
The FTC offers some guidance and tips to help identify scams, here are four easy ways to identify and avoid scammers.
1. Scammers pretend to be from an organization you know.
Scammers often pretend to be contacting you on behalf of the government. They might use a real name, like the FTC, Social Security Administration, IRS, or Medicare, or make up a name that sounds official.
2. Scammers will persuade you that there is an issue or a prize.
Scammers often greet you, state the organization they are posing as and then immediately present you with a problem or an award. They will say something along the lines of you are in trouble with the government, you owe money, there’s an issue with one of your accounts, someone in your family had an emergency or they have detected a virus on your computer. They also will use lottery or prize winnings as a tactic, too.
3. Scammers will pressure you to act immediately.
Scammers will threaten you with arrests, sue you, revoke licenses or card access and more. They usually pressure you to take action quickly as a way to stop you from checking your accounts or having the time to check out their story.
4. Scammers tell you to pay in a specific way.
Scammers will ask you to pay with something specific like cryptocurrency, wiring money through a company like MoneyGram or Western Union, using a payment app, or putting money on a gift card and then giving them the numbers on the back of the card. Some more elaborate scammers will send you a fake check and then tell you to deposit it and send them money.
Ways to protect yourself and stay aware
While scams are hard to avoid, here are steps that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation recommends people take that go beyond just identifying scams to help protect yourself and others in your household.
Block unwanted calls and text messages.
Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect.
Don’t click any links or answer any calls from locations you’re unfamiliar with
Resist the pressure to act immediately.
Do not open emails from people you don’t know.
Secure your personal information. Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.
Pay attention to how scammers tell you to pay.
Stay informed on the latest cyber threats. You can sign up for alerts from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
Stop and talk to someone you trust, sometimes, talking about it could help you realize it’s a scam.
“Always remember to take a step back, breathe, take the emotion out of it and verify it,” said Lt. Eric Calendine of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. “Once you remove the pressure and scare tactics you feel, it’s easier to think clearly and contact the correct people for verification.”
Steps to protect your technology
Scammers are always working to outsmart technology.
They will almost always use email or text messages to trick you into giving them your personal and financial information like your passwords, account numbers or Social Security numbers. But there are several ways to protect yourself.
Here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:
They’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts.
They claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information.
You need to confirm some personal or financial information.
An invoice you don’t recognize.
Click on a link to make a payment.
You’re eligible to register for a government refund.
Offering a coupon for free stuff.
Here are a few ways to protect yourself and your devices from these scam attacks:
Use an email filter
Many email providers (like Gmail or Yahoo) have spam filters turned on by default that funnel these fake emails to a separate inbox.
But there are ways to make them work even better because sometimes these filters aren’t perfect.
If any spam makes it through to your inbox, you can mark it as spam or junk. You can also check your spam or junk folders occasionally to make sure non-spam emails don’t end up in there.
Block unwanted emails
Check your email provider’s settings for steps to block unwanted emails. There is sometimes a banner at the top to unsubscribe or block. If you want to go a step further, try blocking specific email addresses or email domains (this is the part of the email address after the @).
Check to see how companies will use your email address
Different websites and apps handle your privacy differently, and some may even give your information to third parties. To check, visit your provider’s privacy policy to see how your information and contact information are used.
Unsubscribe from unwanted emails
Similarly to blocking, you can unsubscribe from certain email addresses.
Most email providers have features that help you unsubscribe from email lists. They may show up as a banner or as a button when you open the email.
To find out what options your email provider has, you can search online for the name of your email provider, plus “how to unsubscribe from unwanted emails.” Sometimes, it’s as easy as clicking one button.
Protect your computer by using security software
Set the software to update automatically, that way, it can monitor and remove any security threats automatically.
Scammers are always outsmarting technology, so if your device isn’t up to date, it’s easier for them to hack in. Update the software programs on your computer, tablet, and mobile phone as soon as possible when a newer version comes out.
These software updates often contain critical patches and protections against security threats to stay ahead of scammers.
Visit the CISA security tip page on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.
Protect your online accounts with a strong password
Passwords are critical to protecting your accounts and identity, so make sure to find one that is unique and one you will remember. The CISA has these tips when choosing and protecting your passwords.
Luckily, there are a few options you can take when choosing your password:
Create your own password
Use a password manager
Choose an automatically generated password
If you find yourself struggling to create or even remember passwords, automatically generated ones are helpful devices that create a password for you. Here’s how that works for each of the following platforms:
Use multi-factor authentication
Some online accounts offer extra security by requiring two or more credentials to log in to your account. This is called multi-factor authentication.
The extra credentials you need to log in to your account can fall into one of these three categories:
A passcode, a PIN or the answer to a security question.
A one-time verification passcode or security key you get by text, email or from an authenticator app.
A scan of your fingerprint, your retina or your face.
Multi-factor authentication is a great tool because it makes it harder for scammers to log in to your accounts.
Having a strong password is an important step in protecting your account from hackers. But two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your account.
Back up your data
If you have an external hard drive or use the cloud, it can add an extra layer of protection. With these techniques, you can back up your data for both your computer and your phone.
Here are some instructions for each device type to back up your data:
Apple Support: How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Android Help: Back up or restore data on your Android device
How to report scams
Scams are an unfortunate part of our reality, but if you find yourself picking up the phone to a faulty message, here are some steps you can take to report it.
Report scams to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Report it to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office at the non-emergency dispatch line at 843-524-2777 and ask to speak to a deputy.
Forward unwanted messages to your email provider (like Gmail or Yahoo).
Block the number that called or messaged you.
Mark it as spam or junk. Most email services include options to mark messages as spam.
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office also does presentations on scammer and avoidance upon request. You can contact them by phone at 843-524-2777 or by visiting their offices to schedule a presentation.
Additional helpful resources to avoid and protect yourself from scams include the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs Ditch the Pitch web page, the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
This story was originally published February 22, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
