Common Scams
July 30, 2024
Romance. Grandparents. Sweepstakes. Gift Cards. What do all these things have in common? They are frequently used to scam people out of their hard-earned money.
Below you will find some examples of common or popular scams to be on the look out for so you can protect yourself and your money.
- Government impersonation: government impersonation scammers pretend to call you from a government agency, like the FBI, Social Security Administration or IRS. They say something bad will happen—you’ll go to jail, for example—if you don’t pay.
- Romance/confidence: Often posing as military or a trades person working overseas to avoid meeting face-to-face, these scammers develop fake online personas to gain the trust and affection of their victims before asking for money for emergencies.
- Grandparent: a grandparent scam involves the scammer impersonating a loved one who is in trouble and needs money. These scams have become even more convincing in recent years due to artificial intelligence that can mimic anyone’s voice.
- Lottery/sweepstakes/inheritance: The victim is told they’ve won a prize or inherited a large sum of money, which they can only access if they pay taxes and fees upfront, or if they give up their identity and bank account information for direct deposit.
- Investment: Victims are asked to tap retirement accounts, home equity or credit cards, and put their money into low-risk investments with guaranteed returns. Investment scams often take the form of pyramid schemes, market manipulation or real estate investing. More recently, criminals have been using cryptocurrency for their investment scams, asking victims to purchase crypto, like Bitcoin or Ethereum, and transfer it to their digital wallet.
- Non-delivery: Fake advertisements entice people to order and pay for items online. They either never receive the order or get something completely different from what was advertised.
- Gift cards: Posing as a business or government agency, the scammer will request payment in gift cards, telling their victim to send them the numbers on the back of the cards. The scammer convinces the consumers to go to a nearby store (e.g., Walmart, Target, Walgreens, or CVS) to purchase a gift card. he scammer then directs the consumer to scratch off the security film on the back of the gift card and read out the numbers to the scammer. The scammer can then remotely access and retrieve the gift card’s value or, more commonly, the gift card information will, be sold and resold on a secondary market.
Often predators also target people who are seeking relief from financial stress. Below are a few common scams targeting people already experiencing financial strain.
Protect yourself before you’ve been scammed
Identity Theft Freeze Law
- This law allows anyone to contact the credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) and request a credit freeze…it’s FREE
- The freeze must be placed within 3 days after the request and within 10 days you will be provided a unique PIN
- You can temporarily life or “thaw’ your report for a specify amount of time
- We recommend this be done for anyone under the age of 18 or any senior citizen that has no need to open new credit
https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Consumer/Publications/CreditFreezesFraudAlerts.asp
Our Recent News
Catholic Charities is thrilled to announce the success of our 16th Annual Pack the Porches Food and Fund Drive, held on March 27th, 2026.
If you ask anyone at Emergency Services, they’ll tell you the same thing: Nikki is unstoppable. Every single day, she goes above and beyond for Catholic Charities, our clients, and her team. Nikki is a proud mom of two, and her youngest recently moved out on their own. Life hasn’t always been easy—she lost her children’s father suddenly in 2006, a time she describes as chaotic and life-changing. Today, she’s in a happy relationship and loves spending time at the cabin, traveling, riding motorcycle, and making the yearly trip to Sturgis. Catholic Charities “found” Nikki in a very full-circle way. At the time, she was helping her dad with his job as a grocery vendor—the same stores that donate to Catholic Charities. difference for the community every day. At the end of each night, she lays her head down knowing she helped someone—and that’s what keeps her going. When her dad broke his elbow, Nikki stepped in to help him. Her strong work ethic caught the attention of a Catholic Charities program manager who had grown up with her dad. He saw something special in her and offered her a position. Her first assignment? Driving the Catholic Charities food truck—even though she had never driven a truck before. She remembers being terrified backing down the ramps, but her supervisor simply told her, “Keep it between the yellow lines.” She did—and that moment sparked the confidence that has fueled her ever since. Over the past 13 years, Nikki has worked in nearly every corner of Emergency Services. Nikki originally got pulled into Mardi Gras because her mom is crafty, and she’s been involved ever since. She especially loves the decorating and seeing everything come together. Last year’s event was particularly wild with so many new people, but Nikki’s natural leadership helped bring everyone together to create a fantastic experience. When asked what motivates her, Nikki doesn’t hesitate: positive thinking. “Negative thoughts will never give you a positive life,” she says. She believes positivity is contagious, and her mantra is simple: Do the best you can with what you have, take it one day at a time, and always pay it forward.
When Mary reached out to FHC, she was overwhelmed and worried about losing her home. A devoted wife and mother with a strong career, she never expected that sudden health issues would reduce her income and cause her to fall behind on her mortgage. Missing several payments left her feeling vulnerable and unsure of where to turn. Once her health improved and she returned to full-time work, Mary was determined to regain control of her finances. She partnered with a housing counselor who helped her take a clear look at her household budget, identify areas to reduce expenses, and create a realistic plan to address her debt. During the process, Mary shared heartfelt gratitude with her counselor: “I can’t thank you enough for being my voice when I couldn’t advocate for myself and not judging me for my mishaps. I’m thankful Catholic Charities is part of our community and is a blessing for many.” With renewed confidence, Mary contacted her mortgage company to explore available workout options. Because her illness qualified as a hardship, she was eligible for a partial claim. This option allowed her to resume regular mortgage payments while moving the past-due balance to the end of her loan—giving her the breathing room she needed. Today, Mary feels empowered and more intentional about managing her household finances. She has also brought her husband into the budgeting process, realizing she doesn’t have to shoulder everything alone. This experience has strengthened her confidence and set her family on a path toward long-term financial stability.
