As summer approaches, scammers are gearing up to target families with various scams. According to data from Norton software, the Federal Trade Commission, and the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, impostor scams increase by up to 144% during the summer. These scams often involve people posing as travel agents, hotel workers, or others in the hospitality industry.

Types of Summer Scams

Some common summer scams include impostor scams, sports betting scams, toll balance scams, and natural disaster relief scams. Impostor scams can be particularly devastating, with Americans losing $3.5 billion to them in 2025. Sports betting scams often involve scammers cloning reputable sports-betting agencies to get victims’ credit card information.

Toll balance scams typically involve a fraudster texting or emailing intended victims and informing them of their outstanding toll balance. Natural disaster relief scams take advantage of people’s charitable nature during disasters, with scammers posing as workers from relief organizations or government employees offering public aid.

How to Protect Yourself

To protect yourself from these scams, it’s essential to be vigilant and take preventative actions. When receiving a call or message from someone claiming to be from a reputable organization, hang up and call the verified phone number of the organization to confirm. Only enter bets on verified, reputable websites, and report suspicious activity to the FTC.

Avoid giving out sensitive information if you are unsure about a message’s authenticity, and contact the toll operator’s main customer service line if you receive a suspicious message about your toll balance. Refrain from giving out sensitive information to strangers, and check the authenticity of a nonprofit or government website by calling a verified phone number connected to the organization.

Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.