09/17/2025
Protect yourself—and your money—from these new scams
Protect yourself by staying informed about the latest scam tactics so you can keep your personal information and your money safe. Do you know how to spot these common scams?
Protect yourself from scams
Lawyer impersonation
Scammers may pose as lawyers, often targeting vulnerable populations, to steal money or sensitive information. These scams can involve fraudulent representation in legal matters, or even impersonation of government officials.
Beware of urgency
Legitimate lawyers or government officials won’t pressure you over the phone or via email for urgent payments or private info. You can always verify a lawyer’s identity and credentials by looking them up via the state bar association website.
Celebrity relationship scam
Scammers create fake online profiles pretending to be a celebrity looking for companionship. They usually reach out via social media to spark conversation and may use AI-generated audio and video calls to appear legitimate. These scammers then take advantage of the trusting relationship to request money, often in the form of peer-to- peer payments, gift cards or wire transfers.
Never send money to someone you’ve never met face to face.
No legitimate celebrity will ask you for money—or gift cards—via your direct messages. Even verified accounts can be hacked, so stay cautious.
Business email compromise
Scammers will send an email pretending to be from a vendor requesting you to send money to a different account. The email looks genuine, but it could be from a fraudster who got access to your vendor’s network.
Pause before you pay.
Always confirm payment or account changes with your contact through a verified telephone number or known channel.
While scams can take many different forms, staying vigilant with these tips could help:
Tip 1: Verify all phone calls, texts and emails before sharing personal or financial information.
Tip 2: Beware of fraudulent investment opportunities—if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Tip 3: Don’t be pressured to pay with gift cards.
Protect yourself from scams
Get tips on avoiding scams, fraud and much more with a free, self-paced online course made possible through our partnership with KHAN ACADEMY® .
If you’ve been impacted by a scam, learn how you can create a personal recovery plan with the Better Business Bureau Scam Survival Toolkit.
Capital One’s $0 liability for unauthorized charges protection doesn’t extend to authorized use of your credit or debit card¹—for example, if you make a gift card purchase and give the gift card details to someone who turns out to be a scammer, you may not get your money back.²
As these scam techniques evolve, you’ll be updated as we learn more. It’s all part of how Capital One is looking out for your financial safety every day.
Thanks for choosing Capital One.