With all of the different scams floating around, it can be hard to know what is legitimate and what is a scam. Here are four tips to help you figure it out:
- Scammers PRETEND to be from an organization you know or on behalf of the government. They might use a real name, like the Social Security Administration, the IRS, or Medicare, or make up a name that sounds official. Some pretend to be from a business you know, like a utility company, a tech company, or even a charity asking for donations. They use technology to change the phone number that appears on your caller ID, so the name and number you see might not be real. If the scam is in an email, be sure to check the sender’s email address. Don’t click on any suspicious links. If you need to check something in an existing account, manually type in the company’s website instead of clicking the link.
- Scammers say there’s a PROBLEM or a PRIZE.
– You’re in trouble with the government.
– You owe money.
– Someone in your family had an emergency.
– There’s a virus on your computer.
– There’s a problem with one of your accounts and you need to verify some information.
– You won money in a lottery or sweepstakes but have to pay a fee to get it. - Scammers PRESSURE you to act immediately. They want you to act before you have time to think. If you’re on the phone, they might tell you not to hang up so you can’t check out their story. They might threaten to arrest you, sue you, take away your driver’s or business license. They might say your computer is about to be corrupted.
- Scammers tell you to PAY in a specific way. They often insist that you pay by sending money through a money transfer company, cryptocurrency, or by putting money on a gift card and then giving them the number on the back.
When in doubt, do not provide information or payment to something you might think is a scam. If the scam involves a company you do business with, content them directly using contact information provided on their website or on a recent bill.
***Fraud information provided by our security partner eFraud Prevention