If you didn’t hear about all the scams recently, that’s okay. There were many tricky ones, like when a scammer sends you money or tries a scam called “pig butchering.” People used a lot of ways to try to steal our hard-earned money every day. Here are the biggest scams that you need to watch out for, so you can keep your money safe this year.
1. Money “accidentally” sent to you on pay apps

If someone sends you money by accident, don’t spend it or send it back. This year, many scammers sent money on purpose and pretended it was a mistake. Here’s what they do:
Scammers buy stolen credit cards from the dark web and connect them to their payment app of choice. Then, they start sending random people money by “accident” and proceed to message them asking for the money back, saying it was sent by mistake. Then, this is what will happen next…
2. Tampered gift cards

Scammers have always gone after gift cards, but recently, they came up with two new tricks to steal gift card money.
First, scammers are making their own barcodes and sticking them on top of the real ones. When the card is activated and money is added, the money goes into the scammer’s account instead of staying on the gift card.
The second trick was used mainly on Apple gift cards. Scammers cover up the last few digits of the card’s number, then put the card back on the store shelf. If someone buys it and adds money, this is what will happen.
3. Fake messages about winning the lottery

Some time ago, the Powerball jackpot reached over a billion dollars, and many people hoped to win it, even though the chances were only 1 in 292 million. Scammers took advantage of the excitement.
They tricked people by telling them they had won. The scammers gave out a fake “claim check number” and told the victims to go to their local Dollar General Stores to get their prize.
But first, they said the winners needed to do this to “claim the prize.” It was just a trick to get money from people.
4. Virtual kidnapping scam

Scammers sometimes pretend to be kidnappers in a scary trick. These scammers call parents and make them think their child has been kidnapped. They demand money right away. But really, the child is safe, maybe at school or with a babysitter. The scammers hope you don’t find out the truth until after you’ve paid them.
An FBI agent named Erik Arbuthnot told the newspaper that this scam often starts with prisoners in other countries. They just call random Americans, hoping to reach someone with children.
When you answer your phone, this is what you might hear.
5. Student loan forgiveness scam

Student loan forgiveness was a big topic some time ago, and scammers used it to trick people. They pretended to be companies or even the President, offering to help with loan forgiveness or debt relief.
But these offers were all fake. You should never have to pay to get help with your federal student loans. If a company contacts you offering any service, this is what you should do.
6. Emails bypassing the spam folder

Did you get an offer for a free YETI cooler just for taking a Dick’s Sporting Goods survey? This email scam was different because it got past Gmail’s spam filter, so it reached more people than usual. Whether the prize is a YETI cooler or AirPods, there are easy ways to avoid falling for these scams.
7. Recovery scams

Recovery scams were new to many people. Here’s how they work: Once you’ve been scammed, your name goes on a “sucker’s list.” Scammers share this list on hidden parts of the internet.
Then, people pretending to be recovery experts contact you. They say they can get your money back from the scam, but they charge a fee. But really, they are just more scammers trying to trick you.
8. The “pig butchering” scam

The “Pig Butchering” scam is a new trick used by scammers who focus on getting to know individuals who have more money. Here’s what they do:
Scammers target people and become their friends over days or weeks. They act like they are rich and eventually suggest investing in cryptocurrency. Then, they trick these people by doing this sneaky thing.
9. Sending money to “yourself” on Zelle

Did you get a message asking if you approved a $500 purchase? If so, you might have been targeted by a scam.
Here’s how the scam works: First, there is no real purchase. When people reply “no” to the message, the scammers tell them their money is being stolen and suggest transferring it to “themselves” through Zelle for safety.
But here’s the trick: The scammers ask victims to send the money to an account that seems to be theirs because it has their name, but the phone number on the account is actually the scammer’s number. So, when victims think they are sending money to themselves, they are actually sending it to the scammer. Here’s how to protect yourself.
It’s like changing your dad’s contact name in your phone to “Barack Obama.” No matter what the name says, if you call the number, you’re calling your dad. The important thing is the phone number or email linked to the account, not the name.
10. Fake “cleared” checks

Technology has made it easier for scammers to trick people with fake checks this year.
Here’s how the fake check scam works: A scammer gives you a check that looks real, so you deposit it into your bank account. Then, they convince you to send them money. You might think this is safe because the check seems to clear quickly and you see the money in your account.
The scary thing is, modern graphics and printing technology make it easy for scammers to create very real-looking fake checks quickly. These checks can fool not just you, but even bank employees.