See a suspicious link? ‘Don’t click it.’ U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, and law enforcement launch campaign.

IDAHO FALLS — If there’s ever any doubt about a suspicious link, message, or online attachment that’s personally sent to you, law enforcement is warning, “Don’t click it.”

That’s the theme of a campaign that launched at the beginning of December as online criminals increasingly target Idahoans during the holiday season through scams and fraud schemes.

U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, along with the FBI, the Idaho State Police, and many other law enforcement agencies, launched the “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign.

“We have witnessed many Idahoans lose their hard-earned money or their entire retirement savings to online scams,” Hurwit said in a news release. “But, together, we can reduce the risks by talking with each other about how to avoid such scams.”

Hurwit’s office published a four-part series of public service announcements on YouTube on how people can protect themselves from online schemes.

Listed below are common online fraud schemes to be aware of:

• “Package can’t be delivered” scam: The scam targets people through text messages or emails. It claims that a package can’t be delivered unless they click the provided link and give personal information or pay a redelivery fee. Don’t click it.
• “Account subscription” scam: You could get an email or text message indicating a subscription has been renewed for another year. The message encourages you to click a link to verify or receive a receipt for the subscription. Don’t click it.
• “Phantom hacker” scam: Criminals send unsolicited messages by phone, email, text, or pop-up pretending to be “tech support.” They ask you to provide access to your computer so the software can be updated to “thwart hackers. Don’t click it.

“Last year, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received 800,944 complaints about suspected internet crimes. That’s more than 2,000 complaints every single day,” said David Bodily with the FBI in a news release.

The campaign encourages people to exercise skepticism from unknown or verified sources.

If you believe you are a victim of a scam, you are encouraged to report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov or by contacting your local law enforcement agency.