Protect Yourself From Scams

 

Scammers are constantly refining their scams to make them as effective as possible. These criminals are getting increasingly sophisticated in their attempts to get your money or personal details. They know what works and what doesn't. Scams target people of all backgrounds, ages and income levels. Scams succeed because they look like the real thing and catch you off guard when you’re not expecting it. They also exploit your desire to be polite and respectful, as well as your generosity, compassion and good nature. 

Some things that you can do to help protect yourself against scams include:

Sign up with the National Do Not Call Registry - The Do Not Call Registry accepts registrations from both cell phones and land lines. To register by telephone, call 1-888-382-1222. You must call from the phone number that you want to register. To register online (https://www.donotcall.gov), you will have to respond to a confirmation email. After you are registered, you can be pretty sure that any telemarketing call you receive is a scam. Legitimate telemarketers screen their calls against the National Do Not Call List and won't call any registered number. Scammers however will still call and try to get you to fall victim to their crimes.

If it's a Robocall - It's a Scam! - Few things can be more annoying than answering the phone while you're in the middle of something - and then being greeted by a recording. According to the Federal Trade Commission "If you receive a robocall trying to sell you something (and you haven’t given the caller your written permission), it’s an illegal call. You should hang up." A study by Truecaller found that in 2016 roughly 22.1 million Americans lost a total of $9.5 billion in robocall scams.

If it Involves a Non-traditional Payment Method - It's a Scam! - Never pay by wire transfer, prepaid money card, gift card, or other non-traditional payment method. Say no to cash-only deals, high pressure sales tactics, high upfront payments, overpayments, and handshake deals without a contract.

Don't Show Your ID When Making a Credit Card Purchase - According to My Bank Tracker: An unscrupulous store employee could steal customer information from their IDs. This employee can use it to conduct identity theft and apply for credit cards under someone else’s name. Such criminal activity can happen at all types of business. According to the IN Department of Financial Institutions "When you pay for merchandise with a Visa card, MasterCard, or American Express any store that accepts these cards should accept yours too, no questions asked. It's part of the deal that merchants agree to when they become participating members... Your personal ID isn't needed because Visa, MasterCard, and American Express all guarantee payment..." [note that the back of your credit must be properly signed]. The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse points out that many consumers want to protect their privacy and personal security by not revealing their address, birth date, and other information contained on their driver’s license to a stranger. If you do not want to show ID, simply sign your card and refuse to provide ID if asked.

Keep Scammers from Opening Accounts in Your Name - Add A Credit Freeze! - If you’re concerned about identity theft, those reported mega-data breaches, or someone gaining access to your credit report without your permission, you might consider placing a credit freeze on your report. This makes it more difficult for criminals to open new accounts in your name. That’s because most creditors need to see your credit report before they approve a new account. If they can’t see your file, they may not extend the credit. Learn more about a credit freeze on the Federal Trade Commission web-site.

Be Alert to the Fact That Scams Exist. - When dealing with uninvited contacts from people or businesses, whether it's over the phone, by mail, email, in person or on a social networking site, always consider the possibility that the approach may be a scam. Remember, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Some common scams are discussed below.

Credit Card Services Scams
Have you received a telephone call that begins: Hello, this is [Scammer] from Credit Card Services? People are being bombarded with scam telephone calls that promise to help lower their credit card interest rates. The recorded calls purport to come from nondescript entities such as "Card Services," "Cardholder Services," etc. Due to the nondescript identification of the caller, some people may believe that the calls are from their credit card company. When people return the calls or press their keypad as directed, however, they may be contacting debt assistance scam artists or identity theft crime rings. "Card Services" calls are made by criminal enterprises whose intent is to obtain personal financial information to commit identity theft. Learn more about Credit Cards Services Scams on the MN Attorney General's web-site.

IRS-Impersonation Telephone Scams
A sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, has been making the rounds throughout the country. Callers claim to be IRS employees, using fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. They may know a lot about their targets, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling.  Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a gift card or wire transfer. Victims may be threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting. Victims may be told they have a refund due to try to trick them into sharing private information. If the phone isn't answered, the scammers often leave an "urgent" callback request. Learn more about IRS-Impersonation scams on the IRS web-site.

Tech Support Scams
Tech support scams use scare tactics to trick you into paying for unnecessary technical support services that supposedly fix contrived device, platform, or software problems. These scams can use websites to lure you into contacting fake tech support. You may be redirected to these websites automatically by malicious ads found in dubious sites (for example, download locations for fake installers and pirated music or movies). The websites typically use malware in the form of script files like JavaScript or HTML, which can display various fake error messages. The malicious scripts can also put your browser on full screen and spawn pop-up messages that won't go away, essentially locking your browser. The latest evolution in technical support scams is the use of websites that automatically opens the default communication of phone call app with the phone number ready to be dialed. This technique streamlines the entire scam experience, leaving potential victims only one click or tap away from speaking with a scammer. Learn more about Tech Support scams on the Microsoft web-site.

Jury Duty Scams
In various parts of the United States, citizens are being targeted by phone calls and emails, threatening them with prosecution for failing to comply with jury service in federal or state courts. In the calls and emails, recipients are pressured to provide confidential data, potentially leading to identity theft and fraud. These calls and emails, which threaten recipients with fines and jail time if they do not comply, are fraudulent and are not connected with the U.S. courts. Learn more about Jury Duty Scams on the US Courts website.

Payday Loan Scams
The scammer calls you and poses as a payday loan collector. The fake collector then accuses you of failing to repay a payday loan. The scammer says that you’ll be sued if you don’t immediately wire a payment or provide a bank account or credit card number to pay off the supposed debt. The caller may claim to be from a law firm or a government agency like the Federal Trade Commission, and may threaten to garnish your wages or levy your bank account. Other intimidation tactics include threatening to tell your employer or family members you’re a deadbeat, and saying that you’ll be arrested if you don’t pay off the debt. Learn more about Payday Loan Scams on the Lawyers.Com website.

Romance Scams
A romance scam is a confidence trick involving feigned romantic intentions towards a victim, gaining their affection, and then using that goodwill to commit fraud. Victims - predominantly older widowed or divorced women targeted by criminal groups usually from Nigeria - are, for the most part, computer literate and educated. But they are also emotionally vulnerable. And con artists know exactly how to exploit that vulnerability because potential victims freely post details about their lives and personalities on dating and social media sites. Learn more about Romance Scams on the FBI web-site.

Grandparent Scam
The Grandparent Scam targets older individuals with callers pretending to be grandchildren. The scam begins with a phone call from a grandchild -- or so the caller says. But it almost always ends with a desperate plea for money.  The caller says there’s an emergency and asks you to send money immediately. But beware, there’s a good chance this is an imposter trying to steal your money! Learn more about the Grandparent Scam on the AARP web-site.

You can avoid becoming the victim of a scammer by being aware that scams exist, and that you - like anyone else - may be targeted by these criminals. Take steps to always safeguard your personal and financial information, and if you find that you have become a victim of a scam, report it to your local police department, to the Federal Trade Commission, and to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).