Attempts to deceive people over the Internet are often very sophisticated and require a watchful eye. Below are some of the most common types of scams reported by members of the U-M community.
Common Scams
Some of the more common scams include:
- Coronavirus scams
- Job offer scams
- Phishing emails
- Phone scams and voice phishing (vishing)
- Romance scams
- Tax fraud
- Tech support scams
- Text message (SMS) scams (smishing)
- Tutoring Overpayment Scams (Check overpayment scams)
Stay Informed
ITS Information Assurance (IA) sends out alerts on Phishing & Scams to keep the U-M community informed of phishing, scams, fraud and related dangers that have been reported by folks at U-M.
Alerts, Advisories & Notices are also published by IA to keep the community up-to-date on a wide variety of cybersecurity and privacy risks.
For More Information
Government agencies and law enforcement provide lots of resources to help you avoid scams, as well as advising how best to respond if you get caught by a scam.
- Tax Scams/Consumer Alerts (IRS)
- Report Phishing and Online Scams (IRS)
- Taxpayer Guide to Identity Theft (IRS)
- Consumer Information: Tech Support Scams (Federal Trade Commission)
- Technical support scam (Wikipedia)
- New Twist to the Telephone Tech Support Scam (FBI, 11/13/14)