TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Scams are something that can affect anyone if the proper precautions are not put in place.

Today’s technology has made it very easy to manipulate the untrained eye. This is especially the case when it comes to social media.

Local college student, Sawyer Johnson, goes over some red flags he has encountered for scams on social media.

“It will be people that they know that try and follow them and it is clearly not them. If they don’t have very many followers, like they don’t look like a real person, or they don’t have any post and it doesn’t look like they are actively using that profile,” said Johnson.

Scammers posing as companies has also become an issue. Duke Energy officials said that in 2023 there have been over 77,000 scam attempts reported nationwide to their company alone.

Rick Burger is the district manager of Duke Energy and says scammers can be convincing.

“I’ll tell you; they are good. Technology has allowed them to do it. You feel like you are talking to a Duke employee, but you are not,” said Burger.

Burger explains what to do in these situations.

“First of all, you need to hang up or delete your text or email if you get something so you can completely get that over with. Call our 1800 number to let us know because what we then do is turn around and notify the local authorities,” Burger said.

With the holiday season being just around the corner and money becoming a little tighter, being aware of scams becomes even more important.

“The holiday season is here, and scammers are really thick not just in Terre Haute and the Wabash Valley, but nationwide,” added Burger.

Officials said, the rate of scams for Duke Energy has dropped from what it was in 2022, but they’ll continue warning the public as long as it’s an issue.