The Russia-Ukraine conflict is nearly 6,000 miles from our border, but it’s likely already affecting you here at home.
You probably see a hit to your 401K and financial portfolio. As those go down, gas prices are going up. Tap or click here for simple ways to find the best gas prices in your area.
Whenever there’s an event of mass impact, hackers, scammers, and thieves take advantage of the situation. Here’s a list of scams we can expect to see as the Russia-Ukraine war heats up.
Note that scammers will contact you via calls, text, email, or social media. If you have anyone older in your family, they are very susceptible to falling for these scams. Share this post with them on your social media or email this post with a link.
1. Help, help, I’m stuck here
Here’s an all-too-common trope: A scammer pretends to a family member or friend, claiming to be stuck somewhere and in need of money. One of the most common examples of this is the “grandparent scam,” in which a thief impersonates an older person’s grandchild and claims to be saddled with an expensive repair bill or even stuck in jail.
In this case, you may hear from a close contact who says they are stuck in the Ukraine or Russia. Maybe they need money for a plane ticket out or claim to have lost their passport. They’ll raise the stakes, too, telling you they got robbed or all the banks are closed.
The scariest part is how easy it is to manipulate photos to back this up. A…
