Scam Squad: Fighting off trending summer scams

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) -Scammers go where the money is, and this time of year, money is being spent on things like vacation rentals and concert tickets.

But if you’re targeted, you actually have the power to put a stop to these seasonal scammers.

“Criminals go where the money is and scammers go where your eyes are,” said Head of Security at Cash App Dino Dai Zovi.

Scammers are targeting people looking for bargains and unique opportunities like vacation rentals and special events.

Dai Zovi says beware of offers that sound too good to be true or that have a sense of urgency.

“Some things like summer rentals that you can’t see in person, or prices for tickets that are just, you know, unreasonably low,” said Dai Zovi.

If you are scammed, it’s critical to report it to the authorities and through the app or site you used, reporting the transaction as fraudulent and the account as a scammer. Then contact support so they can further investigate.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve lost $20 or $20,000; all fraud reports matter.

Reporting a scam when you’ve been targeted helps the platforms and websites adjust and put a stop to these criminals.

“We have advanced algorithms and other processes working in the background for our 24/7 kind of fraud and scam monitoring, and they depend on that information of what falls through the cracks. So when someone does notice something, reporting it helps us make our systems better and protect everyone,” said Dai Zovi.

Websites or platforms like Cash App can only lock out scammers if they know where and how they’re operating.

“We try and make it expensive for scammers to operate, and if they have to always create new accounts for every new victim, it’s becoming a lot more expensive. But the more times that they can reuse their fraudulent account, the cheaper it is for them. So we really need those to be flagged so that we can identify them,” Dai Zovi urged.

So the next time you get out the credit card to book some summer fun, be sure you’re certain who you’re paying and what you’re really getting. And if you get duped, turn them in. No loss is too small to report.