NEW YORK– October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which means this is the perfect time to learn how to protect yourself from scams.
“Scams have become so sophisticated now. Phishing emails, text messages, caller ID spoofing, all of this technology gives scammers an advantage,” said Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center.
As scammers find new ways to steal money and personal information, consumers need to be more vigilant about who they trust, especially online. A quick way to remember what to do if you think you’re being scammed is to remember the three S’s, says Alissa Abdullah, also known as Dr. Jay, Mastercard’s deputy chief security officer.
“Stay suspicious, stop (and think about it) and stay protected,” she said.
Whether it’s romance fraud or job fraud, impersonators are looking for ways to trick you into giving them money or sharing your personal information. Here’s what you need to know:
Three common tactics used by scammers are based on fear, urgency and money, says security expert Petros Efstathopoulos. This is how they work:
– Fear
When a scammer contacts you by phone or email, they use language that makes it seem like there is a problem you need to solve. For example, a scammer contacts you via email to tell you that your tax return contains an error and that if you don’t fix it, you will be in trouble.
— Urgency
Because scammers are good at creating a sense of urgency, people tend to rush, which makes them vulnerable. Scammers often tell people to take action right away, which can lead to them sharing private information such as their Social Security number.
– Money
Scammers use money as bait, Efstathopoulos said. They may pose as tax professionals or the IRS and say that you will get a larger tax refund than you expect if you pay them for their services or share your personal information.
Simply being aware of typical scams can help, experts say. Robocalls often target vulnerable people, such as seniors, people with disabilities and people with debts.
“If you get a robocall out of the blue that requires you to pay for a recorded message to get you to buy something, just hang up,” said James Lee, chief operating officer at the Identity Theft Resource Center. “The same goes for text messages: every time you get them from a number you don’t recognize, asking you to pay, transfer or click on something suspicious.”
Lee calls on consumers to hang up and call the company or institution in question on an official number.
Scammers will also often impersonate someone in authority, such as a tax collector or collection agency. They may pose as a loved one calling to request immediate financial assistance for bail, legal help or a hospital bill.
So-called “romance scams” often target lonely and isolated individuals, said Will Maxson, deputy director of the Division of Marketing Practices at the FTC. These scams can occur over a longer period of time, even years.
Kate Kleinart, 70, who lost tens of thousands of people over several months to a romance scam, is said to be vigilant if a new Facebook friend looks exceptionally good-looking, asks you to download WhatsApp to communicate, tries to isolate you from friends and family, and/or becomes romantic very quickly.
“If you see that photo of a really good-looking person, ask someone younger in your life — a child, a grandchild, a niece or a nephew — to help you do a reverse image search or identify the photo ,” she said.
She said the man in the photos she received was a plastic surgeon from Spain whose photos were stolen and used by scammers.
Kleinart was also living in lockdown during the early pandemic when she received the first friend request, and the companionship and communication meant a lot to her while she was cut off from family. When the scam failed, she missed the relationship even more than the savings.
“Losing the love was worse than losing the money,” she said.
Job fraud involves an individual posing as a recruiter or a company to steal money or information from a job seeker.
Scammers tend to use the name of an employee of a large company and post a job opening that matches similar positions. A first red flag is that scammers usually try to make the job very attractive, Velasquez said.
“They will be paid very high salaries for somewhat low-skilled work,” she said. “And they often say it’s a 100% remote position because that’s so attractive to people.”
Some scammers post fake jobs, but others reach job seekers directly through direct messages or text messages. If the scammers want to steal your personal information, they may ask you to fill out various forms with information such as your Social Security number and driver’s license information.
The only information a legitimate employer should ask for at the beginning of the process is your skills, your work experience and your contact information, Velasquez said.
Other details generally don’t need to be shared with an employer until you’ve received an offer.
According to Lois Greisman, deputy director of marketing practices at the Federal Trade Commission, an investment fraud is any get-rich-quick scheme that lures targets through social media accounts or online advertisements.
Investment scammers typically include various forms of ‘testimonials’, such as from other social media accounts, to support that the ‘investment’ is working. Many of these also involve cryptocurrency. To avoid falling for these fraudsters, the FTC recommends doing independent research on the company, especially by searching the company name in combination with terms like “review” or “scam.”
Keep the following in mind when using Facebook or browsing Google results quiz scamwhich usually seem innocuous and ask questions about topics you may be interested in, such as your car or favorite TV show. They may also ask you to take a personality test.
Despite these benign-looking questions, scammers can use the personal information you share to respond to security questions from your accounts or hack into your social media to send malware links to your contacts.
To protect your personal information, the FTC simply recommends avoiding online quizzes. The committee also advises consumers to use random answers for security questions.
‘Asked to enter your mother’s maiden name? Say it’s something else: Parmesan or some other word you’ll remember,” advises Terri Miller, consumer education specialist at the FTC. “This way, scammers can’t use the information they find to steal your identity.”
When buy or sell products On Instagram or Facebook Marketplace, keep in mind that not everyone who contacts you has the best intentions.
To avoid being scammed when selling through an online platform, the FTC recommends checking buyers’ profiles, not sharing codes sent to your phone or email, and against accepting online payments from unknown people to avoid.
The same goes for when buy something on an online marketplaceMake sure you research the seller carefully. See if the profile is verified, what kind of reviews they have, and what the purchase terms are.
Scammers often contact you by telephone. Ben Hoffman, head of strategy and consumer products at Fifth Third Bank, recommends recording unknown incoming calls.
“Banks don’t ask you for your password,” Hoffman said. If you think your bank is trying to contact you, call a number listed on their website.
This makes it easier to be sure you are not talking to a scammer. As a general rule, banks don’t call often unless there is suspicious activity on your account or you have previously contacted them about a problem.
If you receive a lot of unknown calls that end up being scammers or robocalls, you can use the tools on your phone to block spam. Find out how to do this on yours here iPhone and here for Android.
There are many tools at your disposal that you can use to protect yourself from scammers online.
— Use a password manager to ensure you use a complex password that scammers can’t guess.
— It’s a good habit to check your credit report and bank statements regularly because they can help you determine if someone has used your bank account without your knowledge.
— Enable multi-factor authentication to ensure impersonators can’t access your social media or bank accounts.
As scams become more sophisticated, it’s difficult to know who to trust and whether a person is real or an impersonator. If you’re not sure whether a job recruiter is genuine or whether your bank is actually asking you for information, look for organizations that can help you, Velasquez recommended.
Organizations such as the Identity Theft Protection Center and the AARP Fraud Watch Network offer free services for customers who need help identifying scams or knowing what to do if you have been a victim of a scam.
Once you’ve taken all the necessary steps to protect yourself, you may want to help those around you. Whether you’re helping your grandparents block unknown callers on their phones or sharing tips with your neighbors, talking to others about how to protect themselves from scams can be very effective.
If you or a family member has been a victim of a scam, it is good practice to report it on the website FTC website.
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