What Is An Impersonation Scam?

An impersonation scam involves a scammer who pretends to be from a trusted organization and asks the victim to make a payment.

Where a scammer is impersonating the police or a bank, the scam generally entails a text or call, which claims that there has been illegal or criminal activity on the victim’s account. The impersonator then convinces the victim to transfer their money to a ‘safe account,’ which actually belongs to the scammer.

How to Spot An Impersonation Scam?

Impersonation scams usually start with a text message or phone call that appears to be from a credible organization. Scammers use a technique known as spoofing to make their text or call appear legit by cloning the sender ID or number which the organization uses. Here are some ways in which you can spot an impersonation scam:

• You receive a random email, text, call, or message on your social media account with an urgent request for your financial or personal details or payment.
• The scammer asks you to act quickly, claiming that your money is in danger or that your account will be blocked if you don’t adhere.
• The fraudster asks you to transfer money to another account to purchase goods or for ‘safekeeping’ purposes.
• The sender uses an email address that’s different from that of the actual sender.