Spotting scams: the Cuvva guide

As technology advances, so do scams (unfortunately!). They can be super hard to spot in some cases, so we wanted to put together a list of things to look out for when you receive a message that could potentially be a scam.

It seems too good to be true

If a deal is offered as unmissable and seems too good to be true… it likely is! Use common sense and do some digging around about the company to check if it seems legitimate.

Out of the blue contact

Sometimes you may receive a call out of the blue from a bank or company you have an account with. If you’re not 100% certain that it is the company they claim, we recommend you hang up, search for the company’s official customer service number and call them back through that.

You’re asked to share personal information

If you have someone on the phone and they ask you to share things like passwords, pin codes, security numbers or even access to your computer - hang up! Legitimate companies will never ask for these things. They will usually take you through security by asking things like your date of birth and address but if they start asking for passwords then it’s a big red flag.

You’re asked to pay in unusual ways

Some scams may ask you to pay in unusual ways, this is an immediate red flag. 🚩 Some scammers have asked victims to pay in iTunes vouchers, Amazon gift cards or transfer money through MoneyGram or Western Union.

Don’t click on any links from sources you don’t fully trust

A company may send a link to a website and ask you to do something following the link. Avoid clicking on these links unless you 100% trust them as they could lead to a phishing website which requests your personal information. It’s always safer to go through the company's official website.

Spelling and grammar mistakes

If you receive a text or email from a company that contains lots of spelling and grammatical mistakes, beware it’s probably a scam! Companies tend to have their communications checked by a couple people within a team, and are usually on top of any possible mistakes whereas fraudsters aren’t.

You’re feeling pressured into making a decision

Scammers will try to rush you into making a decision, because the less time you have to think about it the less time there is to spot the red flags. Always take your time to think something over, it’s okay to have space and think about these things. If you feel pressured or rushed, they’re not to be trusted.

These are just some of the top things we know that can help you avoid being scammed. It’s always good to air on the side of caution when receiving contact from a company or someone you don’t know.

Here at Cuvva, we will never call you requesting personal information. All our communications are done through the app, email and on the odd occasion, we may send you a reminder text. If you ever receive a call or suspicious email from someone claiming to be from Cuvva, hang up and open the app and chat to our support team who will quickly be able to tell you if it’s genuine or not.