Category Protection

Starting in 2026, new 401(k) rules from the Secure 2.0 Act will change how high-income earners make catch-up contributions. If you earn more than $145,000, these extra retirement contributions must go into a Roth account, meaning you’ll pay taxes up front instead of deferring them. Although these changes are designed to improve retirement savings, they’ve also caused confusion, especially among retirees. Scammers are taking advantage of this by pretending to be financial experts or IRS officials, trying to trick people into giving away personal and financial information. With rising cases of identity theft and data breaches, it's more important than ever to stay cautious and verify who you’re talking to about your finances.

In today’s fast-moving digital world, financial scams are becoming smarter and more dangerous. Scammers are now using technology to trick people by pretending to be from trusted sources like banks, government agencies, or popular payment apps. Common tactics include phishing (fake emails or texts), vishing (scam phone calls), smishing (fraudulent text messages), and newer methods like "digital arrest" scams and fake mobile number changes using eSIMs. These scams often create fear or urgency to trick people into giving away personal information or sending money. As more of our financial lives move online, understanding how to spot and avoid these scams is more important than ever to protect your money and identity.

As the holiday season nears, identity theft is quickly rising across the U.S., especially during October, which now sees more fraud than any other month. According to Allstate Identity Protection, scammers are getting more advanced, using fake applications to open new credit cards, loans, and bank accounts in other people’s names. Nearly 70% of identity theft cases this season are tied to this type of fraud, leading to over $9 million in potential losses. The rise is being driven by increased online shopping, financial stress, and global instability that scammers are taking advantage of. Experts warn that people should be extra careful with their personal and financial information—especially before Black Friday.

In October 2025, a woman from Houston, Texas, named Willie Delane became the victim of a growing scam problem affecting bank customers across the U.S. After depositing a $10,000 life insurance check into her Wells Fargo account, she received a fake text message that looked like it was from the bank, warning her of suspicious activity. The message included a phone number, which she called, and scammers pretending to be bank employees convinced her to authorize money transfers. She ended up losing $4,400. At first, Wells Fargo refused to return her money, claiming she had approved the transfers, but changed their decision after public backlash. This case shows how clever scammers have become—and how hard it can be to get help when fraud happens.

In 2025, a major payroll scam is targeting U.S. university employees through a wave of phishing attacks. A hacking group known as Storm-2657 is sending realistic-looking emails that trick staff into giving up their login details and security codes for payroll systems like Workday. Once the hackers have access, they change employees’ bank information to steal their pay and create email rules that hide any alerts about the changes. These scams have been successful partly because of the current economic stress in the country, where things like high inflation and budget cuts are leaving workers more financially vulnerable than ever.

Real estate fraud, especially seller impersonation scams, is becoming a growing threat in the U.S. These crimes involve cybercriminals using stolen personal information and advanced tools like artificial intelligence to pretend to be the true owner of a property. They create fake listings and trick buyers, real estate agents, and title companies into completing fraudulent sales. Victims may not realize what happened until it's too late—after they've lost money or property. Fixing these scams can cost over $140,000 per case, and they also damage trust in the real estate system. As technology improves, it's more important than ever to stay alert and protect your personal information when buying or selling a home.