Scamming the youth

I spent a lot of time at the hospital last week due to my mother being ill.

You wait a lot in hospitals.

You wait in-between procedures.

You wait for the results of the procedures.

There’s a lot of time to kill.

I like to read while I wait.

You can learn a lot.

For instance, I thought it was just seniors that were prey to scammers.

Not so.

In fact, young adults can actually be prime targets for scammers.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, 43 percent of young adults ages 20-29 lost money in 2017 due to a scam, compared to 15 percent of people in their seventies.

Here are some of the top methods used to scam our youth:

Social Media Phishing

Did you know teens and young adults spend about nine hours each day on social media? That’s disturbing in itself. The scheme is “phishing.” Which involves scammers sending out private messages posing as a trustworthy source. Follow the link and they have your username and password. Bam! You’ve been scammed.

Scholarship Scam

Scammers behind the fake scholarship application may ask for Social Security numbers and financial account info. Bam! You’ve been scammed.

Online Shopping Scam

They create phony online stores offering low, low prices and brand name goods. Items are never delivered. Bam! You’ve been scammed.

Don’t be fooled by these common student and young adult scams.

Research these internet thugs.

Scammers are tricky and there’s a scam for everyone, even the young.

See you out there.