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9 Ways Scammers Like to Be Paid

Understanding how criminals want you to pay them may help you spot a scam before it starts

Deirdre van Dyk,

Updated September 16, 2025

AARP

En español

Updated September 16, 2025

two hands reach through holes in separate walls. one hand drops a gold coin into the other hand

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If you’ve received a text that says you owe road tolls or a call from someone claiming your loved one is in danger, how can you tell the difference between a real emergency and a scam?

The answer: Consider how they’re telling you to pay.

“Criminals prefer to get money in forms that aren’t traceable or erasable,” says Amy Nofziger, a fraud expert for AARP. “Knowing their preferences may make it easier to spot their schemes.”

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Consumers lost $12.5 billion to scams in 2024, a 25 percent increase over the previous year, according to reports to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Based on FTC data, these are the 10 most common types of payments scammers request:

1. Bank transfer or payment

The biggest losses to criminals in 2024 were through bank transfers or payments.

Scammers can create or open accounts in someone else’s name, whether that’s a made-up person or a combination of real and fake identities, says Jennifer Pitt, senior analyst for fraud and security at Javelin Strategy & Research.

Once you’ve paid money from your account to the scammer, it’s difficult to unwind the transaction. The criminal behind the bank account will rapidly move the money before law enforcement can get involved.

2. Cash

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Cash is still king with criminals because it’s totally untraceable. Home improvement scams may start with a contractor who asks for cash up front, or someone from a moving company may ask for a cash deposit and then disappear with the money.

A scammer may call and claim they’re from the FBI and that your account has been compromised, so they want to help you move your money to a safe place. “They will often ask victims to wrap cash in newspapers or old books to not raise suspicion,” says Nofziger. “Sometimes they will offer a courier to pick it up. If you are instructed to do this, you are involved in a scam. Ask for help.”

3. Checks

Someone gives you a check as payment. But it’s for more than they owe you. Rather than simply writing a new check, they’ll pressure you to cash the check and to send them the supposed overpayment.

Although the money appears in your account balance, it will disappear when your bank realizes the check was fake. Meanwhile, your check has been cashed, the money is gone from your account, and the scammer has disappeared.

Another scenario: After you’ve lost money in a scam, a scammer poses as an expert who can recover stolen funds. They’ll send you a check claiming they found your money, then ask you to pay a finder’s fee. You’ll later discover that the check you deposited was fake, while they have your finder’s fee.

4. Credit cards

Scammers don’t usually accept credit cards because the transactions are all tracked, monitored and recorded. But you could get scammed if you enter your credit card number into a fake shopping site or insert your card into an ATM, gas pump or grocery credit card reader that a criminal has rigged with a skimmer — which steals your data and card information.

“Make sure you have your credit card customer service phone number handy in case your card is compromised, and report any suspicious charges to them right away,” says Nofziger.

If you paid a scammer with a credit card, you’ll want to close that account and place a fraud alert on your bank account. It’s also a good idea to monitor your account: Sign up for text alerts notifying you of all transactions.

5. Cryptocurrency

Criminals have told victims they need to take care of an outstanding tax bill or pay bail in what turns out to be a grandparent scam, or that they should invest in cryptocurrency to reap big returns. Victims are then often directed to use a cryptocurrency ATM, which look similar to regular ATMs and can be found in convenience stores and gas stations. This type of crime increased nearly tenfold from 2020 to 2023. In 2024 alone, victims lost more than $1.4 billion.

(AARP is pushing for state laws to regulate this type of ATM and protect consumers from scams.)

6. Gift cards and prepaid debit cards

A gift card can be quickly redeemed, and once it is, the money becomes untraceable. That’s why gift cards are among scammers’ favorite payment methods.

Gift cards may be requested in “do me a favor” scams, where a criminal poses as a friend, a boss, or even a church or temple leader. After giving you an excuse for why they can’t do the task themselves, they ask you to buy gift cards and read them the numbers, promising to pay you back. Or a “friend” on social media may tell you they just got a government grant, and you also qualify — you just need to pay a processing fee using a gift card.

Remember that the IRS and other government agencies do not take payment in gift cards. “Gift cards are for gifts,” says Nofziger, “not the payment of debts or bills.”

7. Gold bars

In recent years, scammers have been asking their victims to pay in gold bars. They often pretend to be from the FBI, Treasury Department, FTC or another government agency and tell you, for example, that your Social Security number or bank account has been compromised. Then they say that to protect your money, you need to convert it into gold bars and hand it over to their “agent” for safekeeping.

Nobody legitimate will ever ask you for a payment in the form of gold bars, says Nofziger.

8. Payment apps

Apps such as Venmo, Zelle, Apple Pay, PayPal and Cash App allow you to easily pay a friend, relative or small business. They make it easy to pay criminals too.

9. Wire transfer

Criminals pretending to be collecting for a charity or selling you a great deal on a cruise or offering an adorable puppy for sale may request payment by wire transfer. One of the most devastating scams is when a criminal intercepts a down payment during a real estate transaction.

Protect yourself

Regardless of payment method, if someone is asking you to withdraw large amounts, stop, reflect and protect yourself by taking the time to think (criminals take advantage of your heightened emotional state), and tell a trusted friend or family member about the transaction before acting.

Scammers are likely to insist that you keep your interactions a secret — a sign that you should tell someone what’s going on.

How to report scams

File a report with local law enforcement so you’ll have a record of the crime. Also report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov). Not every complaint leads to enforcement action, but the information can help officials spot trends and sometimes identify the criminals.

For support and guidance, you can call the trained fraud specialists at the free AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline (877-908-3360). They can share information on what to do next and how to avoid future scams. The AARP Fraud Watch Network also offers online group support sessions.

Deirdre van Dyk is an AARP associate editor. She previously worked at USA Today and Time, where she covered business, government, sustainability and innovation.

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