I don't know if scams are on the rise, or it's summer so people are on their devices more... maybe. I guess it doesn't matter, because a scam is a scam and getting caught up in one whether it be summer or winter is no fun. Here are some of the big ones to be aware of.
But first, let's just put ourselves in a mindset that is suspicious of everything. It's not being paranoid, or running to the kitchen to fashion a tinfoil hat. It's aggressive pragmatism. The dude sitting in a Faraday cage in a warehouse because he is afraid of everything is not getting scammed. I don't think that you need to be that extreme, but it's healthy to be suspicious of everything online. It could be an email, or a website, or a text. The Internet is not your friend and does not wish you well. That's the truth of it. It's a tool we need to use and interact with, but you have to be on guard... just a little bit to keep yourself safe.
The Virus Pop-Up If you ever get a pop-up on your phone or iPad or Mac saying you have a virus, you don't. It's a scam. It's always a scam. They want you to call a number, or not click on whatever or you will lose 200 years of photos. It doesn't matter, because it's fake. Don't call the number. Don't click on anything. Just close the window or app and move on with your day.
The Phone Call You may get a phone call from Apple or Microsoft saying that you are locked out of your cloud storage or something to that end, and you will lose a bajillion years of photos if you don't do this, that, or the other thing. Their solution for you usually ends in them getting a large sum of money. Again, this is a scam. None of these tech companies will call you. Apple won't. Microsoft won't. And Amazon definitely won't -- I don't think you can even call them anymore. Just hang up or delete the message.
The E-vite This one is a little more sophisticated. It is an e-vite that comes from one of your trusted friends or an actual email that you recognize. Sometimes the sender's email has been compromised, so it will look legit. The truth is, it's a scam. When you click on the e-vite it will ask you to login with Google or Apple. Do not do this. This is how they get your email info and lock you out of your account. This is a tough one, but to be safe, if you do get an e-vite, check with the sender via phone before doing anything, especially if you are not expecting one.
The Picture Link Just like the e-vite above it will send you to a place to login to Google or Apple to see the photos. Same thing here where a verbal verification may be the best way to keep you safe.
If you'd like to take a quiz on how good you are at spotting scams and phishing, check out this collaboration between Google and Jigsaw: https://phishingquiz.withgoogle.com/ | 
