Are You Being 'Spoofed'? This Specific Type Of Scam Is Hard To Catch.

This sneaky, insidious act tricks you into sharing personal information — and it's all too easy for fall for. Here's how to spot it.

Scammers win when they trick you into divulging personal information ― and one of the simplest ways they can get you to do this is by impersonating someone you know.

When a bad actor pretends to be someone you trust or a legitimate retailer, this type of scam is known as “spoofing.” With spoofing, scammers take advantage of “the fear and the curiosity that we have that this is somebody we know,” said Amy Nofziger, the director of victim support for the AARP Fraud Watch Network.

One common tactic in a spoofing scam is to make an email address, text message, website or phone number appear like it’s the real deal. But even though it might have a similar or exact same display name, domain address or use the same call-to-action button as a trusted business, politician or boss, it’s actually all a deceptive act to convince you into downloading malware or giving up your financial information.

Often, the trickery can only be revealed through minor details. Here are some of the most common ways you will encounter spoofing and what to watch out for:

Phone Spoofing