Scammers are constantly adapting their tactics to exploit consumers. From fake apparel stores and online pet schemes to deceptive work-from-home jobs that demand payment upfront, consumer fraud is becoming increasingly sophisticated. James Price from the Better Business Bureau breaks down the top scam categories, highlighting the surprising prevalence of counterfeit products and phishing schemes designed to steal personal identities.

Understanding how scammers target victims via text message and social engineering is crucial for modern digital safety. Learn how fake job offers manipulate job seekers, why cryptocurrency is a major red flag in employment offers, and simple, concrete steps to secure your devices against intrusive pop-up malware and scam notifications.

Key Takeaways:

• Apparel and pets lead the risk list for online purchase and counterfeit product scams.

• Employment scams increasingly use fake peer groups, mentors, and upfront fee demands—often involving cryptocurrency—to exploit job seekers.

• Text messages and phishing pop-ups are the most common entry points for stealing personal and financial information.

• Legitimate job opportunities will never require you to pay money to get paid.