Scamming has never been worse. Here’s how Mainers can avoid it.

By Jim Lemieux

From robocalls to phony emails, scams are everywhere. Not only are Mainers being bombarded by political ads day after day, but dangerous scammers are on the prowl and eager to exploit innocent consumers.

In Maine, people think that scams are more common than before for a very simple reason: They are more common. People are losing more money to scammers than ever, with artificial intelligence only making matters worse. Consider job scams, whereby fake recruiters promote fake job postings to steal sensitive personal and financial information from job seekers. Largely due to AI, job scams are up nearly 120 percent.

Scamming is so bad in 2024 that the Federal Trade Commission recently alerted consumers about government impersonation scammers who are securing larger and larger cash payments. Between 2022 and 2023, the cash paid out to government impersonators nearly doubled, with the commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection now calling it a “massive” problem. All in all, Americans are losing billions of dollars every year to fraud, including investment scams and cryptocurrency schemes.

In response to scamming, consumers need to be more vigilant than ever before. Rapid technological innovations are changing our world, and while we enjoy many benefits from that, there are also negatives to be aware of. Credit union members have been called, emailed or contacted via social media by people impersonating others. These scams disproportionately affect older people in Maine who are less familiar with new-age technologies.

The first component of vigilance is public awareness. We need to understand that scammers are out there in droves to exploit consumers, especially those who are less comfortable with technology. But scamming is a threat to everyone — across all industries.

To identify scammers, there are general red flags to watch for. According to the Federal Trade Commission, scammers often pretend to represent familiar organizations, claiming there is a problem that warrants a fast response or a prize for those who act. It is common for scammers to pressure consumers to act quickly while telling them to pay up in a very specific way. This very targeted sense of urgency is an easy giveaway.

There are other giveaways, depending on the platform. Scammers have become more sophisticated due to 21st century frontiers like emailing and text messaging, but the red flags still apply. Whether it’s on a phone or a computer, a scam can be identified through careful examination.

Is the subject line strange? Does it appear to be from someone you know, but it doesn’t seem like them? (Keep in mind: Scammers can make their text or call appear to be from any number they wish.) If you hover over the email address, can you see the true domain name? Are there grammatical or spelling errors that make the email feel less formal? Is there threatening language urging action? Are there unusual characters or punctuation marks?

It’s important to run through all these questions as checkpoints. The same goes for social media: Beware of unusual wording or display features, or anyone reaching out for your password information. Above all else, consumers should avoid clicking links or opening attachments that seem fishy because they are quick pathways to compromised information.

Scamming is way, way up, so there should be no taboo surrounding the notion of a scam. Consumers shouldn’t feel silly about being tempted by a potential scam because tricksters are very clever when it comes to manipulating people. Scammers are savvier than they were five or 10 years ago, changing voices and phone numbers through AI.

Consumers must also remember that there are resources out there for people who feel threatened by scammers. Credit unions and other financial institutions are aware of the scamming crisis, and they are ready to provide resources that can keep people safe. Consumers should never feel ashamed about asking for these resources from a credit union or their financial institution.

In Maine and across America, today’s scamming requires extra vigilance from all of us. Staying alert is the key to staying safe — and saving money, too.

Lemieux serves as president of Sebasticook Valley Federal Credit Union in Pittsfield.