1. Never send money to someone you have not met face-to-face. Beware of online friends who ask for money or offer investment opportunities, including scenarios involving cryptocurrency.

2. Don’t click on links or open attachments in unsolicited email or text messages. If the person claims to be somebody you know or a well-known organization, contact the person directly or go directly to your account to confirm the details.

3. Avoid making quick purchases while browsing social media. Research the website before paying for a product/service.

4. Don’t believe everything you see or read. Scammers are great at mimicking official seals, fonts, websites, and other details.

5. Beware of offers that seem too good to be true. Be cautious of perfect job offers, highly reduced prices on products/services, or investment opportunities that claim to be “risk free.”

6. Be extremely cautious when dealing with anyone you’ve met online. Never share personally identifiable information with someone who has contacted you unsolicited.

7. Don’t be pressured to act immediately. Instead, take time to do more research or reach out to a third party to discuss the situation.

8. Use secure, traceable transactions when making payments for goods, services, taxes, and debts. Prepaid/gift cards, for example, cannot be traced and should be used for GIFTS, not PAYMENTS.

9. Whenever possible, work with businesses that have proper identification, licensing, and insurance. Research the company first at BBB.org.

10. Be cautious about what you share on social media.

11. Consider enrolling in free credit monitoring and downloading a copy of your credit reports periodically. This can be done for free at the three main credit bureaus (TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax).