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Most of us need a refresher course on how to protect ourselves from scams.

“Scams have become so sophisticated now. Phishing emails, texts, spoofing caller ID, all of this technology gives scammers that edge,” said Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center.

As scammers find new ways to steal money and personal information, consumers should be more vigilant about who they trust, especially online.

A quick way to remember what to do when you think you’re getting scammed is to think about the three S’s, said Alissa Abdullah, also known as Dr. Jay, Mastercard’s deputy chief security officer.

“Stay suspicious, stop for a second (and think about it) and stay protected,” she said.

Know the most common scams

Simply being aware of typical scams can help, experts say. Scammers will also often imitate someone in authority, such as a tax or debt collector. They might pretend to be a loved one calling to request immediate financial assistance for bail, legal help or a hospital bill.

Robocalls in particular frequently target vulnerable individuals like older adults, people with disabilities and people with debt.

“If you get a robocall out of the blue paying a recorded message trying to get you to buy something, just hang up,” said James Lee, chief operating officer at the Identity Theft Resource Center. “Same goes for texts — anytime you get them from a number you don’t know asking you to pay, wire or click on something suspicious.”

Lee urges consumers to hang up and call the company or institution in question at an official number.

Don’t pick up unknown incoming calls, recommends Ben Hoffman, head of strategy and consumer products at Fifth Third Bank. As a general rule, banks don’t normally call their customers, he pointed out.

“Banks don’t ask you for your password,” Hoffman said. If you believe your bank is trying to reach out, hang up and give them a call at a number listed on their website.

Romance scams

So-called “romance scams” can take place over longer periods of time — even years.

Kate Kleinart, 70, who lost tens of thousands of dollars to a romance scam over several months, said to be vigilant if a new Facebook friend is good-looking, asks you to download WhatsApp to communicate, attempts to isolate you from friends and family, and/or gets romantic very quickly. She said the man in the pictures she received was a plastic surgeon from Spain whose photos had been stolen and used by scammers.

“If you’re seeing that picture of a very handsome person, ask someone younger in your life — a child, a grandchild, a niece or a nephew — to help you ‘reverse-image search’ or identify the photo,” Kleinart said.

Quiz scams

When you’re using Facebook or scrolling Google results, be aware of quiz scams, which typically appear innocuous and ask about topics you might be interested in, such as your car or favorite TV show. They may also ask you to take a personality test.

Despite these benign-seeming questions, scammers can then use the personal information you share to respond to security questions from your accounts or hack your social media to send malware links to your contacts.

To protect your personal information, the FTC simply recommends steering clear of online quizzes. The commission also advises consumers to use random answers for security questions.

“Asked to enter your mother’s maiden name? Say it’s something else: parmesan or another word you’ll remember,” advised Terri Miller, consumer education specialist at the FTC. “This way, scammers won’t be able to use information they find to steal your identity.”

Investment scams

An investment scam constitutes any get-rich-quick scheme that lures targets via social media accounts or online ads.

Investment scammers typically add different forms of “testimony,” such as from other social media accounts, to support that the “investment” works. Many of them also involve cryptocurrency.

To avoid falling for these frauds, the FTC recommends independently researching the company — especially by searching the company’s name along with terms like “review” or “scam.”

Best practices

There are many tools are your disposal that can be used to protect yourself from scammers.

— Use a password manager to ensure you’re utilizing a complex password that scammers can’t guess.

— Regularly check your credit report and bank statements to see if someone has been using your bank account without your knowledge.

— Turn on multi-factor verification to make sure impersonators aren’t able to access your social media or bank accounts.

When in doubt, call for help

As scams get more sophisticated, it’s difficult to know who to trust or if a person is actually real or an impersonator.

Organizations like the Identity Theft Protection Center and the AARP Fraud Watch Network offer free services for people who need help identifying scams or knowing what to do if they’ve been a victim of a scam. Contact the ITRC at 888-400-5530 or at idtheftcenter.org. The AARP Fraud Watch Network hotline (877-908-3360) is free; you don’t have to be an AARP member to use it.

If you or a family member is a victim of a scam, report it on the FTC’s website at reportfraud.ftc.gov. —AP