7 On Your side has tips on how to spot online fraud, text scams

NEW YORK (WABC) -- According to the Federal Trade Commission, there's a 25 percent increase in consumer fraud, totaling $12.5 billion lost in 2024.

So, how do you protect yourself?

"Even the most technology-aware person can be caught off guard," said Kristin Lewis of AURA, an AI-powered cybersecurity service.

Robocalls, texts and email scams make it harder than ever to secure your digital life, says Lewis.

Kristin, "I have had Aura's message protection activated for a few months and I have 1,183 messages that have been sent to junk. So you can just scroll through and see the litany of random numbers that are sending me texts," Lewis said.

The top phishing they are blocking are phony job recruitment, toll collections like EZpass and election-related scams.

They all have one thing in common, which is urgency.

"They're very scary. They're very threatening. They're very time sensitive," Lewis said.

Try using call blockers like Aura, Hiya and Truecaller, which cost a few dollars a month.

Plus, you can purchase cyber or identity theft protection insurance to cover anywhere from $50,000 to $5 million worth of fraud.

Another huge source of fraud is fake websites.

Amy Nofizger is the director of victim support at AARP's FraudWatch Network.

She said links on social media and emails can lead to dummy websites like one offering a going-out-of-business clearance sale at Joann Fabrics.

"I even got the impostor email. It looked 100 percent legitimate!" Nofizger said.

The key is to check the spelling of the email address.

The Joann's Fabric scam is so popular, it is prompting an FTC warning.

There are no Joann Fabrics website anymore, it is now Michaels.

Always pay by credit card, check the spelling of website addresses and beware of any ads on social media.

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