5 Spring Scams to Avoid in 2025

Scammers are smart, convincing, and constantly changing their tactics. To help protect yourself from fraud, it’s a good idea to stay up-to-date with the latest scams and to always be vigilant. Just remember: scammers pray on fear and try to make you act fast. Here are five scams to be aware of this spring.  

Investment Scams 

You see a social media ad describing an excellent investment opportunity. You transfer a reasonable amount of cash, and watch your money grow via live trading on the screen in front of you. Everything seems great—until you learn that in order to access your money, you need to pay another sum into the account, and then another. Eventually it turns out that while the “trading software” looks sophisticated, it was all a scam.  

Be very wary of investing with an online platform, especially if you’ve been contacted out of the blue or the investment returns sound too good to be true. The best way to invest is to work with a financial professional who is also a fiduciary, meaning they are obligated to act in your best interests. Get rich quick schemes, especially ones conducted over the internet, rarely pay off. 

Blackmail Scams 

In a blackmail scam, you will receive a message from an anonymous person claiming to have embarrassing photos, videos or written materials involving you or your family members. They will threaten to make these materials public, unless you transfer money. Often, the scammer will ask for this money to be transferred via cryptocurrency platform, which makes the money untraceable. 

Like many scams, a blackmail scam works due to fear and time-pressure. You may be told that sensitive materials will be released immediately if you don’t send money within the next few minutes. This situation can be frightening, especially if the scammer is threatening a loved one and you want to protect them. Don’t be scared into acting fast! Hang up the phone or close the internet window, then report the blackmailer to the FBI.  

Tax Season Scams 

As tax season approaches, many scammers will tailor their phishing attempts to taxpayers. You may receive an email from someone claiming to be an IRS representative, offering a phony tax refund if you send them your account number and various personal information. Or, the fraudster may claim something is wrong with your IRS account, and you need to click a link or download a file to solve the problem. 

Don’t click any links or download information from senders you don’t recognize. This rule applies whether you receive the suspicious communication via email, a social media message or a text message. If you’re concerned the message may be legitimate, get in touch with the IRS through an official channel on IRS.gov, rather than using a link, phone number or email address which contacted you. 

Employment Scams 

Looking for a new job? Watch out for phony ads on legitimate job sites, which according to the Better Business Bureau are now on the rise. In an employment scam, you may be asked to provide your personal information (including social security number, address and even your bank details) in order to “apply” for the position. Scammers may even ask you to pay for job-related equipment.  

To protect yourself from this kind of scam, don’t assume that every ad on a job website is legitimate. If a potential employer asked for personal details too early in the process, be wary. Seach the company online (using a Google search, rather than any links provided within the job ad) and verify its legitimacy. Employers don’t need information like your social security or bank account number during the application process, so proceed with caution if asked to provide this.  

Card Declined Scams 

If you’re shopping online and receive a “card declined” message, proceed with caution. In recent months there has been an uptick in “card declined” scams, in which fraudsters set up fake e-commerce sites and trick shoppers into sharing details from as many payment cards as possible. 

The first step to avoiding a “card declined” scam is to only shop online with nationally recognized retailers. If you are attempting to make a payment and the payment isn’t going through, call up your bank before trying another payment method. Avoid using a debit card online, as it’s much harder to recover fraudulent losses on a debit card.