Every month we help people who have been scammed. But had they read and printed our newsletters and articles they wouldn't have been out hundreds or thousands of dollars. Scammers are becoming increasingly clever. By using technology and the anonymity of the internet hackers and scammers can reach millions of potential victims in attempt to trick them into giving up their money. With a little bit of knowledge of scams and how they work, you won't become a victim yourself.
In the past few months common types of scams that we've been hearing about include:
- Email scams appearing to come from someone that you know asking for a favor in the form of purchasing a gift card
- A notice of a charge for a product or service that you don't recall ordering
In the first scam, a hacker has gained access to one of your friends email account and sends an email to all of their contacts asking for a favor. That favor is usually purchasing a gift card for them, which they will pay you back later. Don't fall for it - it's a scam. If you get an email like this from someone you know, do not reply to the email - the reply is sent to the scammer. Instead call or text your friend to let them know about the email that you received.
Secondly, you may get an email stating that your account will be charged unless you call the number provided. They use common company names so that the "charge" may seem legitimate - Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Norton, McAfee, Best Buy, etc. Some are intentionally vague - such as a charge for "Technical Support" or "Antivirus Protection" - to pique your interest to get you to call the number. Don't do it!
Always assume it's fake until proven otherwise. A careful inspection of an email will reveal clues about its authenticity. Look at ALL of the following in the email:
- Is the email address shown from a reputable company - or a person's email address?
- Is the email personalized with your name - or simply "Dear customer"
- Are there misspellings, grammatical errors, capitalization errors?
Most scams typically start with an email, website pop-up, phone call or text message from a well-known company or your operating system. You are notified about a large purchase that has been (or will be) charged to your account - or there's a problem with your account or device/computer. You're told to call, click a link or talk to a fraud/account representative to confirm the purchase or account information. No matter how legitimate it sounds - it's a scam! Never conduct business or financial transactions initiated from an unsolicited email. The most common method of payment to a scammer is via a gift card, because once purchased you can't get your money back in most circumstances.
