We receive a phone call or email claiming that we need to transfer money over for some reason, and immediately some of us think these phone calls and emails are legit. They seem legit with how the person sounds like a businessman, how the email is laid out, and how the fake website looks when you click the link on the email. However, don’t let these scammers fool you. Scammers will try every tactic they can to fool you into giving them money, especially by making their content look official. To pay these scammers, most of the time they will ask you to use MoneyGram. This is why we should all know some examples of MoneyGram scams and how to avoid them.

Types of MoneyGram Scams

Sextortion Scams

The scammer pretends to be a girl, wanting to “mess around” on social media. The victim who is usually a guy falls for the scam, and the scammer asks him to send some explicit pictures of himself. The victim agrees, and in return, he receives some inappropriate pictures from the girl he is texting.

The girl then claims that she is 16-years-old and the victim blocks her after realizing how old she is. A few days later, the scammer pretends to be the girl’s father and threatens to call the police on you for sending explicit images to his minor daughter. You comply and MoneyGram him the funds, only for him to continue asking you for more money. Turns out, his threats are empty and he will continue to ask you for money until you drain your bank account.

You’ve Won Scams

A scammer pretends you’ve won a contest or sweepstakes in order to trick you into providing them with your personal information or your finances. Usually, you will receive a message, phishing email, or a phone call claiming that you won this contest or sweepstakes that you’ve never even heard of, and the scammer will give you “instructions” to receive this prize.

The scammer will ask to provide them with their personal information, and the victim complies wanting to get their hands on the prize or sweepstakes. Then, the scammer will tell them that there is a small shipping fee that the victim needs to pay in order to get their hands on the prize they won. The victim uses MoneyGram to wire the scammer money, and the scammer blocks them, stealing their identity and their money in the process.

Fake Check Scams

A person sends you a fake check due to a number of reasons. It could be because of that contest you supposedly won, you supposedly agreeing to be a mystery shopper, you working from home, or them purchasing an item that you are selling. The scammer asks you to send back some of the money that you have received, claiming that they accidentally overpaid you and need their money back.

You comply and deposit the check then MoneyGram a portion of the check back to the scammer. A few weeks later, your bank calls you and claims that the check you deposited was fake. You then become responsible for the amount that you withdrew from the bank and have to pay back all the money, including the money you gave the scammer.

Romance Scams

Scammers go onto dating apps and social media profiles, looking for perfect victims for their romance scam. Once they find someone who is single, they message them claiming that they want to get to know them more. The victim responds, and the scammer does everything they can to make the victim fall for them as fast as possible, usually using a scammer’s playbook to do this.

The victim falls in love with them, and the romance scammer creates some fake emergency to where they need money to fix it. The scammer asks their victims to help them by using MoneyGram to send them money, and the victim complies thinking the scammer will pay them back. The scammer keeps asking for more money until the victim realizes they won’t be getting their money back. They figure out it’s a scam and block the scammer, heartbroken that they fell for such a scam.

How to Avoid MoneyGram Scams

• Don’t give out your personal information to people you don’t know.
• Don’t give out your financial information to people you don’t know.
• Don’t make purchases over email, the Internet, or by phone call using MoneyGram.
• Don’t click on suspicious links from random emails that you receive, unless you know it’s from a trusted sender.
• Video chat or meet someone in person before you get in a serious relationship with them.
• Don’t deposit paper checks that you receive in the mail without verifying the check is real from your bank first.
• Don’t send or receive explicit pictures from anyone you meet on the Internet.
• Report any MoneyGram scam immediately to the FTC.

Social Catfish is Here to Help You With MoneyGram Scams!

At Social Catfish, we want to help you verify the identities of those who might seem suspicious to you. If you have their name, email address, phone number, social media username, or image, you can reverse search and see who the suspected person was that you’ve been in contact with if you think you’ve been a victim of MoneyGram scams.

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