Scammed

In a world where technology is growing at an alarming rate, where we do the majority of our business online, it is more important than ever to be aware of the many scams that are out and about. Cybercriminals are constantly coming up with new and deceiving ways to manipulate individuals and create anxiety to try to scam you out of your hard earned money. Understanding the ways that these criminals operate and the different methods that they will use to commit
fraud is the best way to prevent yourself from being a victim of fraud. This article will elaborate on some common scams we are seeing every day, what to look out for, how to protect yourself, and the steps to be followed after you suspect and fraud.

The family member in trouble scam
One of the most common scams that we see in the banking world is the “Family In trouble” scam. You will get a call from a scammer who will pretend to be a loved one. They will tell you that they were arrested and not to tell anyone else in the family and tell you that you need to wire funds to them so they can post bail. As soon as your wire is sent your funds are gone.

You have been hacked scam
Another common scam we are seeing at least once per week is the “Your computer is hacked call Microsoft to resolve” scam. What happens in this scenario is you will get a pop-up on your
computer indicating that your computer has been compromised and you need to call a number to get it fixed; they will tell you your entire system is compromised and that they will transfer you
to your banks fraud department. They will then instruct you to go to the bank and withdraw cash,
take that cash to a bitcoin machine and enter all of it in and send the funds directly to them. Once
you put your money in this machine it is gone.

Payment for Advertising Scam
The final scam we will review is the “Advertise for us” scam. In this scam you will receive a check in the mail that you were NOT expecting. The check will include a letter that will tell you that you have been selected to advertise for a large corporation, a common one I see is Starbucks. They tell you to deposit the check and a portion of the check needs to be sent back to them to pay for the advertising materials, the remainder of the funds are yours. They have you send the funds and then the check comes back fraudulent and is deducted from your account, leaving you with a negative balance.

How can I protect myself?

Now that we know a few different scams fraudsters are attempting, and some of the common methods that they will use to gain your trust it is important to review the best things you can do to protect yourself, your information, and your money.

-Stay Calm!
These Fraudsters use your emotion to get you anxious, flustered, angry, whatever it may be it doesn’t matter! They just want to get you emotional so you don’t think clearly. If you get an alert that you are being scammed the very first and most important thing you can do is STAY CALM.

-Hang up Immediately!
Part of using your emotion is to get you to trust them. They will tell you that they are the only ones that can help. This is a lie! If they are over the phone, hang up on them immediately. Even if they are claiming to be from your financial institution, or Microsoft, or Starbucks. Hang up and call someone from your bank that you know and trust.
It’s important to mention, these scammers are so advanced they can even spoof a phone number. They may even call you from your bank’s customer service number. It is still best practice to hang up and call someone you trust.

– Never trust a popup!
One of the ways these fraudsters will get access to your computer is through pop-ups. Pop –ups open the door for scammers to get into your computer. Once they are in your computer they have access to just about anything and everything. If you saved your tax return on it, they have access. If you had your username and password for your online banking saved? They have it now too.

– Avoid Pop ups at all costs!
If you end up allowing the scammers to get this far, Stay Calm. We highly recommend having your computer scanned by a professional. These fraudsters are capable of leaving programs in your computer to get data even after the fact.

– Trust your local banker!
Do you think there’s even a SLIGHT chance someone is trying to scam you? As your local banker, we see these scams on a daily basis, and we know exactly what steps need to be taken to resolve the fraud if you were scammed, or even better, how to prevent it from happening in the first place. In this digital world, it’s never been more important to protect yourself and your information. I hope this article will help many people avoid being scammed and keep their hard-earned money safe!

Vincent A Pircio, Branch Manager II, Rockland Trust
2995 Cranberry Highway, East Wareham, MA 02538
Phone (508) 295-6900
Fax (508) 295-7178
Vincent.Pircio@RocklandTrust.com

Don’t Blame the Victim: ‘Fraud Shame’ and Cybersecurity
Blaming victims of cybercrimes, such as falling for phone scams or phishing emails, is common. Society often focuses on what the victim didn’t know or do rather than on the criminal’s actions.
This leads to “fraud shame,” where victims feel responsible for the crime, even though the real blame lies with the perpetrator.
Anyone can fall victim to cybercrime, regardless of age, education, or tech skills, as cybercriminals use increasingly sophisticated tactics. Instead of blaming victims, we should focus on understanding these tactics and empowering individuals with the knowledge and skills to stay safe
online.
If someone you know is a victim of fraud, don’t blame them. Help them contact the authorities (https://www.ic3.gov) and teach them how to recognize phishing attempts and adopt basic cybersecurity practices.