October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. How to Protect Yourself from Fraud – NBC10 Philadelphia

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, so it’s the perfect time to learn how to protect yourself from scams.

“Scams have become so sophisticated. Phishing emails, text messages, fake caller IDs – all of these technologies give fraudsters a decisive advantage,” said Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center.

As fraudsters continue to find new ways to steal money and personal information, consumers should 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, said Alissa Abdullah, also known as Dr. Jay, Mastercard’s deputy chief security officer

“Stay suspicious, stop (and think) for a moment and stay protected,” she said.

Whether it’s a romance scam or a job scam, impersonators look for ways to trick you into giving them money or sharing your personal information. Here’s what you should know:

Know the tactics of scammers

Three common tactics used by scammers are based on fear, urgency and money, said security expert Petros Efstathopoulos. This is how they work:

– Fear

When a scammer contacts you by phone or email, they will use language that makes it seem like there is a problem you need to resolve. For example, a scammer contacts you via email and tells you that there is an error on your tax return and that you will be in trouble if you don’t fix it.

– Urgency

Because scammers are good at creating a sense of urgency, people tend to rush, which leaves them vulnerable. Scammers often tell people they need to act immediately, which can result in them revealing private information like their Social Security numbers.

– Money

Scammers use money as bait, Efstathopoulos said. They may pose as tax professionals or the IRS and claim that if you pay them for their services or share your personal information, you will receive a larger tax refund than you expect.

Know the most common scams

Experts say it can be helpful to be aware of common scams. Robocalls in particular often target vulnerable people such as seniors, people with disabilities and people in debt.

“If you get a robocall out of the blue that encourages you to make a purchase with a recorded message, just hang up,” said James Lee, chief operating officer of the Identity Theft Resource Center. “The same goes for text messages – whenever you receive them from a number you don’t recognize asking you to pay, make a transfer or click on something suspicious.”

Lee urges consumers to hang up and call the business or institution in question at an official number.

Scammers also often impersonate authority figures, such as a tax or debt collector. They may pretend to be a loved one calling and asking for immediate financial assistance for bail, legal assistance, or a hospital bill.

Love scam

According to Will Maxson, deputy director of the FTC’s Division of Marketing Practices, so-called “romance scams” often target lonely and isolated people. These scams can take place over extended periods of time – even years.

Kate Kleinart, 70, who lost tens of thousands to a romance scam over several months, said to be alert when a new Facebook friend looks exceptionally good, asks you to download WhatsApp to communicate and tries to unfriend you and isolate family. and/or becomes romantic very quickly.

“If you see a picture of a very good-looking person, ask someone younger in your life – a child, a grandchild, a niece or nephew – to help you do a reverse image search or identify the photo,” said she.

She said the man in the pictures she received was a plastic surgeon from Spain whose photos had been stolen and used by fraudsters.

When she received the first friend request, Kleinart had also been living in quarantine at the start of the pandemic, and the companionship and communication while cut off from family meant a lot to her. When the scam failed, she missed the relationship even more than the savings.

“Losing love was worse than losing money,” she said.

Job scam

Job scams involve a person impersonating a recruiter or company to steal money or information from a job seeker.

Scammers tend to use the name of an employee of a large company and create a job posting that matches similar positions. A first warning sign is that scammers usually try to make the job very attractive, Velasquez said.

“They will get very high salaries for fairly 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 job offers, while others reach out to job seekers directly via direct messages or text messages. If the scammers try to steal your personal information, you may be asked to fill out several forms that include information such as your Social Security number and driver’s license information.

The only information a reputable employer should ask for early in the process is your skills, work experience and contact information, Velasquez said.

Further details generally only need to be provided to the employer after you have received an offer.

Investment fraud

According to Lois Greisman, an assistant director of marketing practices at the Federal Trade Commission, an investment scam is any get-rich-quick scheme that attracts audiences through social media accounts or online advertisements.

Investment scammers typically add various forms of “testimonials,” such as other social media accounts, to prove that the “investment” is working. Many of them also include cryptocurrencies. To avoid falling for these scams, the FTC recommends doing independent research about the company – especially by searching the company’s name along with terms like “review” or “scam.”

Quiz cheating

When you use Facebook or scroll through Google results, watch out for quiz scams that usually seem harmless and ask questions about topics that might interest you, like your car or your favorite TV show. You may also be asked to take a personality test.

Despite these seemingly innocuous questions, scammers can then use the personal information you share to answer security questions on your accounts or hack your social media to send malware links to your contacts.

To protect your personal information, the FTC simply recommends staying away from online testing. The Commission also advises consumers to use random answers when answering security questions.

“You were asked to enter your mother’s maiden name?” Say it’s something else: Parmesan or another word you’ll remember,” advises Terri Miller, consumer education specialist at the FTC. “This way, fraudsters can’t use the information they find to steal your identity.”

Marketplace fraud

When buying or selling products on Instagram or Facebook Marketplace, remember that not everyone who reaches out to you has the best intentions.

To avoid fraud when selling through an online platform, the FTC recommends checking buyers’ profiles, not sharing codes sent to your phone or email, and avoiding accepting online payments from people you don’t know.

Also, when purchasing from an online marketplace, be sure to research the seller carefully. Check whether the profile is verified, what reviews it has and what purchase conditions apply.

Don’t answer if you don’t know who’s calling

Scammers often contact you by phone. Ben Hoffman, head of strategy and consumer products at Fifth Third Bank, recommends not answering unknown incoming calls.

“Banks don’t ask you for your password,” Hoffman said. If you think your bank would like to get in touch, call them at a number listed on their website.

This can help you be more confident that you are not talking to a scammer. Typically, 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 available on your phone to block spam. Here’s how to do it on your iPhone, and here for Android.

Use all the technology at your disposal

There are many tools available to help you protect yourself from scammers online.

— Use a password manager to ensure you use a complex password that scammers can’t guess.

— Checking your credit report and bank statements regularly is a good practice because it allows you to determine if someone has used your bank account without your knowledge.

— Enable multi-factor verification to ensure impersonators don’t have access to your social media or bank accounts.

If in doubt, call for help

As scams become more sophisticated, it is increasingly difficult to know who to trust or whether a person is actually real or a copycat. “If you’re not sure if you’re dealing with a real recruiter or if your bank is actually asking you for information, look for organizations that can help you,” recommends Velasquez.

Organizations such as the Identity Theft Protection Center and the AARP Fraud Watch Network offer free services to customers who need help identifying fraud or want to know what to do if you are a victim of fraud.

Share your knowledge with your loved ones

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 calls on their phones or giving your neighbors tips, talking to others about how to protect themselves from scams can be very effective.

Report the scam

If you or a family member falls victim to a scam, we recommend reporting it to the FTC website.

The Associated Press receives support from the Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.