Fraud Education and Prevention Articles

Featured

How Safe Is Tap-To-Pay?

October 22, 2025

Tap-to-pay credit card transactions are so quick and convenient—could they be secure, too? Here's what every credit card user should know.

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Featured

Understanding Account Takeover Scams

June 04, 2025

Account takeover is when fraudsters take over one or more of your financial accounts.

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Featured

Tech Support Scams: When Computer Problems Become Financial Fraud

August 08, 2025

If a caller, pop-up ad, or message seeks you out to tell you about a problem with one of your devices, you can bet it's a tech support scam.

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Featured

How to Spot Two Types of Package Delivery Scams

May 23, 2025

Scammers are using deliveries — expected and otherwise — to defraud victims.

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Featured

Glossary: Fraud and Scam Terms You Should Know

May 09, 2025

There are so many ways bad actors can scam. Familiarize yourself with various terms.

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Featured

Scammers Target Victims By Age. How Your Risk Changes Every Decade.

May 15, 2025

Think you know what a fraud victim looks like? Unless you're looking in a mirror, you may not. Here's how fraudsters target people by age.

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Featured

What the Federal Trade Commission's 2025 Report Says About Fraud in Florida and Georgia

May 15, 2025

If you live in Florida or Georgia, your odds of being targeted by fraud and identity theft are higher than other U.S. residents. But why?

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Featured

The New (Easier) Rules of Strong Passwords

April 21, 2025

Think you know password best practices? Times have changed—and so have the guidelines for strong passwords. Learn the new rules.

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Featured

Shhh! Don’t Tell Anyone That Access Code!

November 18, 2025

One-time access codes are for account owners' eyes only, but scammers are tricking victims into sharing them. Learn how this fraud works.

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Featured

Spoofing Is Everywhere. Here's How to Spot It.

January 06, 2025

Spoofing is so common that many of us see attempts at it daily. Here's how to recognize when a sender or caller isn't who they say they are.

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Featured

What Are Common Types of Credit Card Fraud?

September 17, 2025

Learn more about the most common types of credit card fraud and what steps you can take to protect yourself from becoming a fraud victim.

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Featured

Why You Need to Enroll in Identity/Fraud Protection Services

December 06, 2024

You might not know you're a victim of identity theft until the damage is done. Find out how credit and identity protection services can help.

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Featured

6 Things Every Internet User Should Know About Cybersecurity

August 01, 2025

For Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October, we rounded up top trends, facts and tips for readers.

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Featured

How Scammers Can Use SIM Swapping to Steal Your Phone While It's Still In Your Hand

October 16, 2024

Could a complete stranger convince your phone carrier to give them access to your phone? And get away with it?

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Featured

Be Vigilant Against Fraud: FBI Warns Against an Uptick in Tactics

December 10, 2024

On December 3, the FBI issued an alert that bad actors have intensified efforts to scam unsuspecting targets during this holiday season. Be aware: No reputable financial institution — including Synovus — will ever call, email, or text you to ask for personal information.

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Latest Fraud Trends

The Holidays Are Scam Season: Top End-of-Year Frauds to Avoid

November 07, 2025

Scammers work extra hard to get on the naughty list during the holidays. Stay alert for these common end-of-year scams this holiday season.

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Latest Fraud Trends

How Cryptocurrency ATM Scams Work

November 25, 2025

There's a new fraud in town. Cryptocurrency ATMs are appearing across the U.S., and scammers are using them to defraud thousands of victims.

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Latest Fraud Trends

Scammers Target Current and Former Military Members: Here's How to Stay Safe

November 12, 2025

Military members often are targeted by scammers for financial fraud.

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Latest Fraud Trends

Ramp-and-Dump Scams Are Surging — Here’s How They Work

October 03, 2025

Investors, beware. Scammers have a new twist on the pump-and-dump scam called ramp-and-dump, and victims are reporting big losses.

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Latest Fraud Trends

Is Your Old Router Exposing You to Fraud?

September 25, 2025

If your Wi-Fi works, you might never think about your router's security. Criminal proxy service scammers take advantage, hijacking routers.

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Latest Fraud Trends

Shopping Scams: How to Know When a Great Deal Is a Bad Deal

October 27, 2025

Love shopping online? Watch out: Online shopping fraud is the most common costly scam across most age groups. Here's how to shop safely.

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Latest Fraud Trends

How to Spot and Avoid Investment Scams

June 25, 2025

Learn how to spot too-good-to-true investment scams before it's too late.

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Latest Fraud Trends

Government and Financial Impostor Fraud Is Common: How to Avoid Getting Scammed

August 22, 2025

Whether it's a demand or an offer to help, a surprise message from "the government" is suspicious. Government imposter scams, explained.

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Latest Fraud Trends

Back-to-School Scams: Get Educated on How Fraudsters Fool Families

July 30, 2025

Back-to-school season is a busy and exciting time. Don't let your urgency to get ready lead you to fall for a back-to-school scam.

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Latest Fraud Trends

Are Scammers Hiding in Your Kids' Screen Time?

June 24, 2025

Think video games made for kids are safe? Here's what parents should know.

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Latest Fraud Trends

How To Avoid 3 Common Travel Scams

June 25, 2025

Before you pack the flip-flops, make sure to protect yourself from these common travel frauds.

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Latest Fraud Trends

Preparing For Extreme Weather? Don't Forget Fraud Awareness

April 14, 2025

When people are desperate for help, scammers will try to take advantage. That includes during recovery efforts after extreme weather.

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Latest Fraud Trends

How the Brutal Cybercrime of Pig Butchering Goes In for the Kill

December 18, 2024

Pig butchering is a brutal form of cybercrime that systematically drains victims of their life savings. Here's how to protect yourself.

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Latest Fraud Trends

How Criminals Can Use ChatGPT for More Effective Phishing

August 20, 2024

ChatGPT and other chatbots can help make the phishing fraud harder to detect. Here's how to detect the next generation of phishing messages.

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Latest Fraud Trends

How Deepfake Scams Use Familiar Faces to Scam Victims

January 28, 2025

You'd never trust a stranger asking for money online. But what about a loved one in distress? Deepfakes make it hard to tell the difference.

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Latest Fraud Trends

How to Spot Student Loan Relief Fraud (Spoiler: If You're Asked to Do Anything, It's a Scam)

August 15, 2024

Is that message offering to help connect you to student loan relief a scam? Probably. Real student loan relief should happen automatically.

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Latest Fraud Trends

Quishing Hides Scams Inside QR Codes. Here's How to Scan Safely.

December 05, 2024

Think QR codes are an easy way to pay for your parking space? Think twice. Quishing — using QR codes to scam victims — is on the rise.

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Latest Fraud Trends

Could You Fall in Love with a Fraudster? How to Spot Romance Scams

October 16, 2024

There's no good kind of cybercrime, but romance scams can be among the most brutal.

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Latest Fraud Trends

What Is a Man-in-the-Middle Attack?

October 16, 2024

Man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks may be a new term, but odds are, you've heard of the cybercrimes related to it, like phishing or spoofing.

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Latest Fraud Trends

ACH Fraud Isn't New, But It Remains a Threat. Here's How to Protect Yourself.

December 28, 2023

It seems like there's a new type of financial fraud to worry about every time you turn around. Yet that doesn't mean longer-standing cybercrimes are in the rearview window.

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Latest Fraud Trends

AI Voice Fraud on the Rise

August 04, 2023

Scammers are using AI voice cloning to trick people into believing loved ones are in trouble and need money. Here's how to protect yourself.

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Latest Fraud Trends

The Risk of IoT Devices in Your Home

October 04, 2023

Smart home devices, or IoT devices, bring convenience and benefits to households. But are they safe? With these tips, they can be.

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Latest Fraud Trends

What Is Check Washing?

August 04, 2023

Check washing is an old type of check fraud that's making a comeback. Here's how criminals pull it off — and how to protect yourself.

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Identity Theft and Scams

Sleeper Accounts: How to Protect Your Finances

March 07, 2025

Sleeper accounts are fraudulent bank accounts opened in your name using stolen personal info.

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Identity Theft and Scams

Fraud Alert: Skimming and What to Know

April 21, 2025

Criminals are no longer just interested in stealing limited cash. Be aware.

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Identity Theft and Scams

Job Offer or Fraud? How Skyrocketing Employment Scams Target Job Seekers

August 07, 2025

Looking for a job? You might find a scam instead. Here's how fraudsters are targeting job seekers.

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Identity Theft and Scams

Scam Kits and How to Protect Yourself

December 28, 2023

Here's what consumers should understand about this troubling trend and how to stay on guard.

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Identity Theft and Scams

What Is Identity Theft?

August 30, 2024

Identity theft has been around since before the internet, but consumers still need to take regular steps to protect themselves.

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Identity Theft and Scams

How to Avoid Social Media Scams

July 05, 2023

Anyone who spends time online is vulnerable to social media scams. Learn more about the most common types of scams — and how to avoid them.

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Identity Theft and Scams

Fraud Alert: Travel Scams

December 19, 2022

Thieves never take a vacation, even when you do. Read these tips to avoid travel scams and protect yourself from fraud while traveling.

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Identity Theft and Scams

Common Holiday Scams

December 19, 2022

Thieves go into overdrive around the holidays. Learn more about six common holiday scams and how to avoid them.

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Identity Theft and Scams

Infographic: How to Spot Red Flags For Banking Scams

December 19, 2022

The best way to protect yourself from scammers is to learn to identify common red flags that a scammer is targeting you — and then take action.

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Identity Theft and Scams

Scam Alert: Phishing

November 20, 2024

Phishing attacks are on the rise, but you can keep your inbox — and your personal information — safe with a few key tips.

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Identity Theft and Scams

What is a Social Engineering Scam?

October 11, 2023

Social engineering scams are designed to defraud victims with fake emails and texts. Learn about these scams and ways to protect yourself.

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Identity Theft and Scams

Scam Alert: Smishing

December 06, 2024

Smishing scams send you text messages from fake sources in an attempt to trick you into revealing personal or financial information.

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Identity Theft and Scams

Scam Alert: Vishing

November 20, 2024

Vishing is a type of fraud that blends telephone and email scams. Here's how to identify red flags of vishing and how to report it.

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Identity Theft and Scams

Fraud Alert: Charity Scams

January 06, 2023

Don't let scammers take advantage of your generosity. Here are ways to check that your donations end up in the right hands.

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Identity Theft and Scams

Scam Alert: Malware and Ransomware

March 15, 2024

Ransomware attacks are on the rise, just as working from home becomes more common. Here's how to protect your data from malware.

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Identity Theft and Scams

Scam Alert: Bogus Banking Emails

March 24, 2025

Hold on before you panic. That urgent email from your bank might be fake. Here's how to spot the scam, and then what to do next.

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Identity Theft and Scams

Scam Alert: Card Skimming

December 06, 2024

Learn how to protect your card data from cyber thieves when you shop, use the ATM, or fuel up your vehicle.

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Fraud Protection

8 Ways to Secure Your Home Network

March 24, 2025

As more people work remotely, home network security becomes increasingly crucial.

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Fraud Protection

What to Do if You Are a Victim of Fraud

April 21, 2025

The FBI reported that online fraud is rapidly growing in the U.S. Find out how to protect yourself.

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Fraud Protection

Synovus Security Center: Spoofing

April 25, 2022

There’s been an uptick in spoofing-related fraud. Here’s what you need to know.

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Fraud Protection

5 Tips For Safe Online Shopping

June 01, 2023

Online shopping is more popular than ever and cyberthieves and hackers have taken note. Here's how to stay one step ahead of the scams.

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Fraud Protection

Why You Need to Keep Your Personal Info Current With Your Bank

December 06, 2024

You might be wary about giving out your personal contact information — but it's critical that the bank can reach you. Here's why.

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Fraud Protection

5 Tips For Spotting a Phishing Email

August 01, 2024

Phishing attacks continue to rise, but you can keep your inbox — and your personal information — safe with a few key tips.

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Fraud Protection

How to Identify and Prevent Fraud via Phone, Email and Online

November 20, 2024

Scammers use many tricks to get you to divulge your personal information by phone, email, or online. Here are some red flags to look for.

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Fraud Protection

5 Ways to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

November 20, 2024

Identity thieves can damage your credit, steal your money, and disrupt your life. Here are ways to protect yourself against ID theft.

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Fraud Protection

Are Password Managers a Good Idea?

December 06, 2024

If you have trouble keeping track of multiple passwords, consider using a password manager. But is it safe for your financial accounts? Consider these points first.

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Fraud Protection

6 Ways to Keep Your Mobile Phone Secure

November 20, 2024

Your smartphone is a lifeline, but losing its data or having it stolen could be a disaster. Here's how to make it more secure.

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Fraud Protection

Infographic: 7 Tips to Stay Safe While Shopping Online

October 21, 2024

Learn how to protect yourself from hackers and cyberthieves when shopping online. It is possible to safely shop online.

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Fraud Protection

How to Protect Your Account With Secure Passwords

November 16, 2023

Hackers steal nearly 250,000 online login credentials each week. Here's how to protect your email and financial data with a strong password.

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Fraud Protection

How to Teach Your Children About Being Safe Online

November 16, 2023

Parents can keep their children safe online with these best practices. Take a look at these tips to teach your kids how to be safe online.

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Topics

Featured
Latest Fraud Trends
Identity Theft and Scams
Elder Fraud and Scams
Fraud Protection
Identity Theft Prevention

Fraud Education and Prevention Articles

Articles

Featured

Latest Fraud Trends

Identity Theft and Scams

Elder Fraud and Scams

Fraud Protection

Identity Theft Prevention