Avoid These Sketchy Scams Targeting Men in 2026

Scams are rampant these days and scammers are getting slicker. You might think you’re not susceptible to scams, but be aware of a few that can do real harm to your wallet and your life. A lot of times, scammers use a sense of urgency to trick people into sharing information to accounts that you have secured. Here’s a few we’re tracking.

Sextortion Scams

While you may have privacy settings and think your digital footprint is anonymous, is it? Some criminals will contact you to tell you they’ve hacked into your computer and recorded porn sites you have visited or nude photos you have stored on your hard drive. They’ll ask for money, or else they’ll share your content with the world. It’s extortion and a phishing scam. Ignore and block them.

Criminal Investigations

Scammers will contact you and tell you that you’re the subject of a criminal investigation. Phone law enforcement officers will try to interrogate you and send AI-generated warrants. This is pretty scary, but maintain a calm head. Law enforcement doesn’t make video calls to arrest and threaten people, nor do they email court orders.

Employment Scams

There are a lot of people out of work in the U.S., and scammers are targeting people who are already down on their luck. Be wary of online ads; even job search websites can be sketchy. LinkedIn may have a few scammy jobs sneak through the cracks, but they’re one of the legitimate sites for job hunting and networking. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If a “recruiter” contacts you from a legit-sounding company, visit their website’s careers page and see if that job title is listed. Go on LinkedIn and see if that recruiter has a profile, although that could be fake too.

Scam Recovery Scams

This scam is particularly frightening. Say you’ve already been scammed out of money, and now you need help trying to recover the funds you lost. Criminals promise to help you recoup your lost money but be wary of anyone who asks you for financial information, or wants to do any wire transfers. Reject upfront fees. Some scammers will even send a phony check for you to cash, only to claim they paid too much and now they want you to send some of the money back.

It’s a wild and scammy world out there, but you can protect yourself with some of these tips:

• On social media, check your privacy settings and make sure you’re locked down.
• Change passwords often, and don’t use the same password for multiple apps or sites.
• Delete apps on your devices you aren’t using.
• Review your bank account regularly and report any suspicious purchases you didn’t make.
• Don’t answer calls from numbers you don’t recognize.