Scams are Getting Smarter – Here’s How to Stay Safe
Prior to my work here at Pathways, I used to work at a grocery store here in town. It was a great job to have during my college years. Steady hours, flexibility, and good learning experiences. One of the most important things I learned? The danger of fraudsters and scammers. Our managers constantly warned us to be on the lookout for red flags, especially customers trying to buy large amounts of gift cards for “someone from the IRS” (which has actually happened a few times).
This made me think more about how scams have developed over the years. Gift cards are even considered a bit of an outdated tactic compared to some of the high-level deception that is present nowadays. Most scams used to be in the form of a shady phone call or an obviously suspicious piece of junk mail. Today, a lot of scammers are using more advanced forms of targeted texts and calls all in an attempt to trick people into giving up money or information.
The reality is, as the world has become more digital and advanced, so have scams. We shop, bank, invest, and communicate online in our everyday lives. And while it makes life easier in many ways, it also creates more vulnerabilities.
Impersonation scams are one of the biggest forms of deception around, and I’m not talking about the easy to detect phishing emails with loads of typos. I mean people impersonating banks, government officials, mortgage companies, family members, etc. We don’t see a whole lot of voice impersonation calls (at least for now), but we are going down that path with more developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Despite the alarming nature of the items listed above, there are plenty of things you can do to avoid being a victim of one of these scams. Below are some important things to think about when you are suspicious of a situation.
1. Slow down and take a breath. Many scams create a sense of urgency, which can cause you to panic. Some examples being “Buy now or you will miss out on a deal of a lifetime!” or “Pay immediately before we are forced to take legal action.”
2. Do not click on suspicious links or open unexpected attachments.
3. Never give out your personal financial information. Unless you are absolutely sure that the person you are talking to is trustworthy.
4. Check your credit report frequently. Any unusual activity is best reported as soon as possible.
5. Talk to a friend or family member. Discussing any suspicious activities with someone you trust may help you identify a scam.
6. Use multi-factor authentication if possible. Having an additional barrier to entry on your important accounts can help prevent unauthorized access.
7. Watch out for public Wi-Fi traps. Avoid access to sensitive information over public Wi-Fi. If you need to, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) may be beneficial to encrypt your connection.
8. Use strong, unique passwords for each account. Password managers can help you store secure passwords so one compromised account does not lead to others.
All of these tips can help safeguard your identity, data, wealth, and peace of mind. If you ever receive a suspicious message or piece of mail, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
