This one starts soft.

Someone texts you by “accident.” They meant to reach someone else. They apologize. Maybe they’re friendly about it. Maybe they even seem embarrassed.

Then comes the pivot.

They keep the conversation going. Over days or weeks, they build a connection. Sometimes it turns flirty. Sometimes they just seem like a nice person going through a hard time.

Eventually, they mention an investment opportunity. Crypto, usually. They’ve been making great returns. They share screenshots of their “profits.” They offer to show you how.

If you send money, you’ll never see it again.

This is called “pig butchering.” Scammers build trust over time, then convince you to invest on a fake platform. The site looks real. Your “balance” grows. But when you try to withdraw, the money’s gone.

How to spot it:

Random texts from strangers who want to keep talking. Anyone you’ve never met who brings up investing. Screenshots of crypto gains from someone you don’t know. These are all signals to stop responding.

Scammers love secrecy.

“Don’t mention this to your family.” “Keep this between us for now.” “Your bank might try to stop you, but trust me.”

Any time someone asks you to keep a financial decision secret, that’s the red flag.

Legitimate opportunities don’t require hiding. Legitimate helpers don’t ask you to avoid your family. If someone wants you to act alone and stay quiet, they’re trying to isolate you. That’s how scams work.

The rule: Talk to someone you trust before sending money anywhere. Scammers hate that.

Apartment hunting? Be careful.

Scammers steal photos from real listings and repost them at lower prices. You find a deal that seems too good to pass up. You reach out. They’re eager to rent but can’t meet in person. Maybe they’re “out of the country” or “relocating for work.”

They ask for a deposit to hold the place. You send it. Then they disappear.

Meanwhile, someone else actually owns that property and has no idea their photos were stolen.

How to protect yourself:

Reverse image search the listing photos. If they show up on other sites with different addresses, it’s a scam. Never send money before seeing the place in person and verifying who you’re dealing with. If the landlord refuses to meet or pushes for payment before a viewing, walk away.

This one showed up in a reader’s email:

“Microsoft Alert: Unusual sign-in activity detected on your account. If this wasn’t you, secure your account immediately: [Verify Now]”

Looks official, right?

Let’s break it down.

First, the sender address. This one came from “[email protected].” Microsoft’s real emails come from microsoft.com. Anything with extra words or hyphens in the domain is fake.

Second, the link. Hovering over “Verify Now” (without clicking) revealed a URL that had nothing to do with Microsoft.

Third, the design. It looked close to a real Microsoft email, but small details were off. The logo was slightly blurry. The footer links didn’t work.

What to do: If you’re worried about your account, don’t click the email link. Open your browser, go directly to the company’s website, and check your account there.

This one’s worth your time.

Scammers can now clone voices using AI. And they don’t need much to do it. Just a few seconds of audio from a social media video, voicemail, or phone call is enough to create a realistic fake.

Here’s how it’s being used.

You get a call. The voice on the other end sounds exactly like your grandchild, your son, your daughter. They’re crying. They’ve been in an accident, or they’re in jail, or something terrible has happened. They need money right now.

It’s not them. It’s AI.

One Florida mother lost $15,000 after hearing what she believed was her daughter’s voice saying she’d been in a car accident. The voice was fake. The story was fake. The money was real.

Why it works:

The emotional shock overrides everything. You don’t stop to verify because you think you already know who it is. And scammers deliberately create panic so you’ll act before you think.

How to protect yourself:

Agree on a family code word. Something only you and your loved ones would know. If you ever get a distress call, ask for the code word before doing anything.

If someone calls claiming to be a family member in trouble, hang up and call that person directly using a number you already have. Don’t trust the number they’re calling from.

And remember: real emergencies can wait two minutes for you to verify. Scammers can’t.

AI voice cloning is getting better fast. The best defense is knowing it exists, and having a plan before it happens to you.