Professional scammers are certainly enough to piss people off - especially when a pandemic and civil unrest have our defenses down or are desperate. But that's exactly when these dirtbags strike. Be ready and always be wary about email or offers that seem too good to be true. Here are two scams that are catching people off guard:

1. The Court Hearing:
One email that looks credible - and alarming - is that you are suspected of violating the Federal Law under Title 16 USC 8763. The email also says that "a hearing will be held next week at 3:30 PM in Courtroom 6B" and even has a case number attached. It will ask you to click a link for more information and to see what exactly the charges are. Don't. It carries a potentially harmful virus-containing ransomware. According to the United States Courts website, "Unless you are actively involved in a case in federal court and have consented to receive court notifications electronically, you generally will not be served with court documents electronically."

2. Target Gift Cards:
If you got a text message saying you got $175 worth of free groceries at Target - it’s a scam. The first news outlet to bring attention to the scam was WFMY News 2. They note that the message tells you about the gift cards that Target is giving everyone to help during the pandemic, and then offers you a link. Don't click it. It's not real and it's not from Target. If you open the link it can install dangerous features on your phone, such as a virus, malware, spyware, or ransomware, all of which can put your personal information at risk.

It’s important to remember that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

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