IDShield Blog

Originally published March 3, 2021. Blog post updated for accuracy, comprehensiveness and freshness on June 27, 2024. As travel season peaks, fraudsters ramp up their efforts to deceive unsuspecting travelers. Being informed, proactive, and vigilant are ways to...

It’s a universal truth that most people want to find love. The problem is, online fraudsters use that desire against unsuspecting, vulnerable people on dating apps and dating sites. Not to burst Cupid’s bubble, but dating and romance scams are blooming like love in...

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! You’re sure to see pink ribbons hanging in business windows, car bumpers, people’s shirts or hats, and countless other places. Since breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the U.S., it’s no surprise that nearly...

Dark patterns. You'll soon hear much more about these techniques that manipulate consumers into decisions they might not ordinarily make. Think you can spot these manipulatives in online ads? It's more complicated than you think. So much so that a group of data and...

Beware requests to confirm big purchases! The first text—this one's from Amazon—asks you to confirm you bought an iPhone 12 for $1,130. "Just let us know if you did not make the purchase, and we'll cancel it," the text reads. A second message asks for confirmation of...

5 warning signs you're about to get hooked How's your firewall? Got those spam filters engaged? An alarming percentage of individuals still fall for spearphishing attacks—either at home or work—even with spam prevention in place. Unfortunately, these numbers are on...

Each month, IDShield's blog features the most prevalent scam of the past few weeks, giving you insights into how scams begin and the ways to detect them. At the pandemic's start, panicked Americans were offered bogus cures for the Coronavirus. Then vaccines debuted,...

Would you give $172 million to a voice you'd only met on the phone? Surely not. However, government imposter scams raked in that sum during 2020, according to a new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report. Yet that large sum represents just one tiny sliver of revenues...

Scams are multiplying. Losses have surged. Consumers feel attacked from many directions by people who want to snatch their wallets. So, what’s a consumer to do? Some folks are fighting back and succeeding in shutting these con artists. The number one tool in a Scam...

How much nerve would someone need to launch a website that promises refunds to folks already harmed by a scam or data breach? It's a tricky question to answer, but someone is definitely that arrogant. A scammer has taken the "art of the scam" to a new, disturbing...

Fear is one of the most effective methods used by scammers. Fear creates confusion leading to hasty and often disastrous decisions. Seniors are often most susceptible to these tactics. Fear of financial ruin, legal action or safety creates confusion and causes many...