Today’s quiz is all about impostors and the scams they are running!
It’s not always easy to find an impostor and the scams aren’t always obvious. They work very hard to hide their intentions and convince you. Using this quiz can help teach you how to avoid these scams!
Make sure to share this with your friends and family so they can learn more to protect themselves from impostors too!
#1. What is an Impostor?
#2. You get a friend invite from someone you think is ALREADY YOUR FRIEND, what do you do?
#1 Is the best course of action but you could do #4 if you have the time. If they are an impostor, you get bonus points if you report the profile.
#3. You get a phone call and the caller ID only shows a number you don't recognize. What do you do?
Generally speaking, #3 is the best choice. If it’s important they’ll leave a message. Robocall scams often are programmed to not leave a message so don’t be tempted to call back. That just tells the scammer your number works and you’re willing to call them.
#4. What kind of scam do impostors do?
#4 All of the above, and much more. Sometimes impostors aren’t someone you know but someone you might be interested in, like an attractive person showing interest in you, a celebrity or local well-known person, a government official or some other authority figure.
#5. You get a message request from someone you're already friends with. They ask you to do something for them - like buy a gift card, send them some money, or something else. What do you do?
There’s a few correct answers here, but we’re looking for the best choice. If you choose #2 you could find out the account was compromised and report it. #3 is good because you might learn this is an impostor account and you can report it. #4 is the best choice, because you’re bypassing the system entirely.
#6. You get a friend invite from someone you know but aren't already friends with, what do you do?
#1 is the best option, allowing you to investigate before making a choice. #3 isn’t bad if you have the time or you just aren’t sure with #1. #4 is least desirable and #2 is a big NO.
#7. You get a phone call and the caller ID says "IRS", or "Sheriff's Department". What do you do?
#3 is the best choice. If it is important they’re leave a message. Criminals use these names to imply authority and urgency. This is the first ingredient to a good scam. If you’re anxious, you are more susceptible to the scam. If they don’t leave a message, then don’t call them back. If it seems like a legit message, don’t call them back with the number they called from or the number they gave. Call them back using an official number you search for and find.
#8. You answer a phone call and the young person's voice on the line says "Hi grandpa/grandma, I need your help - I'm calling from the Sheriff's office and they need me to post $200 bail because of a speeding ticket, can you wire some money for me please?" What do you do?
#3 is the best choice if you indeed have grandchildren. If you don’t, then #4. This scam is very common and usually targets the elderly. This scam typically has several actors, and if you chose #1, you’ll certainly get an actor who pretends to be a police officer so it is not a good choice.
Results
Great job on the quiz! Hopefully you’ve learned a few more ways to be safe online!
Don’t worry if you didn’t do well! The important thing is learning some methods to help protect yourself against impostor scams! Great job!
