Latest Scams & Rip-Offs
![Scam Alert: Do Not Answer Calls or Texts From These Area Codes](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/clearphone.jpg?resize=480%2C400&ssl=1)
If you receive a call or text message on your cell phone from an unfamiliar area code, proceed with caution!…
![Man making the silence finger with mobile phone in hand](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/dreamstime_s_114341899-1.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has a warning about a new scam that you're going to want to hear! This…
![Beware of these fake offers on Facebook that will steal your information](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/clark-howard_170736729.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Some type of new Facebook scam surfaces just about every day — and there's never a shortage of fake deals…
![FedEx scam](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/FedEx-scam.png?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
With more and more of our shopping being done online and packages being delivered to our homes, there's an old…
![Phone scam - Social Security scam targets these 10 cities and area codes](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/dreamstime_m_71788128.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Social Security scams are on the rise and people in 10 area codes are prime targets, according to a new…
![Scam Alert: Do Not Apply for This Fake Amazon Work-From-Home Job](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/amazonscam.jpg?resize=480%2C400&ssl=1)
We have an update to a phone scam that's been using Amazon's name to target people interested in stay-at-home jobs.…
![Cell phone](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/cell-phone-text_dreamstime-e1696262832711.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning consumers about an ongoing text message scam that's fooling people into sharing their…
![How to protect yourself against 'virtual kidnappings'](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/dreamstime_m_113658201.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Although they've been around for years, "virtual kidnappings" are back with a vengeance and there are fresh alerts from law…
![New scam spoofs Homeland Security: Here's how to stop it](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/dreamstime_m_101670201.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
What would you do if the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called you and started asking personal questions? Criminals…
![Warning: This Amazon Scam Is Coming After Your Money!](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/amazonscamnew.png?resize=480%2C400&ssl=1)
Have you ever needed to contact Amazon's customer service department and searched Google for the phone number? That's how some…
![Scam alert: Beware of phone calls from these 9 area codes](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/scamalertphone.png?resize=480%2C400&ssl=1)
IRS scammers are up to their old tricks again! One of the most common phone scams every year happens when…
![More people are complaining about this scam than any other](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/scamalertnew.jpg?resize=480%2C400&ssl=1)
Whether you're talking to someone on the phone, via email or on social media, it's getting harder and harder to…
![Netflix phishing email scam: How to protect yourself](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/clark-howard_989461697.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
While criminals are finding new ways to target consumers every day, there's one online scam that Team Clark sees popping up again…
![Thinking of wrapping your car? Don't get scammed](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/dreamstime_s_40268505.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
One way to make extra money without a lot of effort is by wrapping you car with an advertisement. Companies…
![Phone porting scam: How to protect yourself](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/dreamstime_s_106942868.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Thieves are increasingly stealing people's phone numbers in a new scheme known as "porting" or "port-out scamming." A phone porting…
![Microsoft logo outside corporate building](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/microsoft.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Microsoft has issued a series of emergency security patches for certain versions of Internet Explorer that criminals are actively exploiting…
![FedEx scam](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/FedEx-scam.png?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
'Tis the season for online shopping, which means more people than usual are expecting packages in the mail leading up…
![Sad grandparents](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/dreamstime_m_100798762.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
The so-called "grandparents scam" is an ugly crime that can bilk senior citizens out of thousands of their hard-earned dollars…
![Netflix spam](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/netflix-spam-email-content.png?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Netflix has become an everyday part of life for many of us, with its huge library of movies on demand…
![What is caller ID spoofing and how do I protect myself from it?](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/telemarketing.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Do you know what caller ID spoofing is? It's a big problem with fraud rings these days. It's where the…
![How to tell if that Amazon.com email is legit](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/dreamstime_s_16041305.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
As the world's largest online retailer, Amazon sends untold numbers of emails to consumers on a daily basis. Many of…
![‘Tis the time of year for ticket scams: 5 ways to spot the fakes](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/dreamstime_s_48068041.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
You drive, Uber or take public transportation to the ballgame and present your coveted ticket to the front gate attendant…
![3 tips to get the most value out of gift cards](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/clark-howard_921064447.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Gift cards are really popular this time of year. But when you buy one, I want to make sure you…
![Hotel phone scam targets guest with calls from fake 'manager'](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/scamhotelFULL.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
New reports of an old hotel phone scam targeting guests and their wallets are popping up with greater frequency these days.…
![woman inserts SIM card into phone](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/woman-inserts-sim-card-into-phone.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Think two-factor authentication for your financial accounts and a passcode on your phone protects you from hackers? Think again... RELATED: 5…
![Student loan repayment scams: How to avoid getting ripped off!](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/clark-howard_802059515.png?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
The U.S. Department of Education has issued a scam alert about some companies that promise to help lower monthly payments for…
![Costco store](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/dreamstime_m_83436355.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Phone scammers are calling Costco members with the promise of free travel vouchers, cash cards or reduced-price vacations in exchange…
![Cell phone fraud warning: How to avoid becoming a victim](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/dreamstime_xxl_102188295.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
It's safe to say that cell phones have become must-have gadgets for most of us these days. Because criminals know…
![Beware of This Hot Vacation Rental Scam](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/vrbo-scam.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Be careful the next time you go to book a vacation rental property from the owner. I've uncovered a fraud…
![third party auto warranty](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/third-party-auto-warranty.png?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Have you received an official looking letter in the mail saying your vehicle's warranty is about to expire — and…