Scams, Scams, Everywhere
Surrounded by Scams
Always check email addresses and website URLs.
You can always hang up and call back on a trusted number!
Don’t let yourself be scared by ‘urgent’ messages. There’s always time to protect yourself.
From fake web pages to phishing emails and fraudulent calls, shady scams are at an all-time high. It’s no wonder- COVID-19 has put us in a place of uncertainty, and that’s what scammers thrive on. According to a New York Times article, about 15,000 websites were registered to pose as fake IRS sites and trick the unsuspecting consumer. And even beyond people pretending to be the IRS, we’ve also got fraudsters selling fake vaccines and medicines.
This week, we’re going to give you a few tips to keep yourself safe in the face of people trying to take advantage of you.
Fake Sites
You’re likely to come by fake or fraudulent sites either through scam emails (which we’ll cover later) or through Google. Always be aware of where you are on the web with a few simple tips!
When Googling things, don’t click any of the links labeled “Ad”. Anyone can pay to have their result boosted to the top of the page and you’re better off scrolling to the actual results for whatever you’re looking for.
Check the URL of whatever site you’re on. Even if the webpage looks real, the URL won’t lie. Make sure the domain name is spelled correctly and you are on a trusted top-level domain, like .com or .gov.
Install an ad blocker. These can make your browsing experience cleaner and easier to handle, and keep ads that are malicious or trying to trick you off your screen. Something like AdBlock or uBlock Origin for your computer can work well. For phones, 1Blocker X works on iPhones and AdAway on Androids.
Scam Emails and Text Messages
Email is a key communication tool, especially during this pandemic. But it’s a hotspot for phishing scams- where fraudsters pretend to be a government agency or company in order to steal your information, especially login information. Here are some tips to keep in mind when looking at your inbox.
Many government agencies will NEVER email you. The IRS, for instance, will NOT email you about your tax return or stimulus check!
Always check the sender of any email by checking the email address itself! It’s easy to make the display name look legitimate, but make sure any email that says it’s from a website like PayPal or your bank is ACTUALLY from that website. Scammers will make email addresses that look legitimate to a quick check, but be sure to look carefully. Often, they’re wrong by only a few characters.
Check, but don’t click, any links. To keep yourself safe from fake websites we talked about earlier, check any link in any suspicious emails. Most browsers allow you to hover your mouse cursor over any links and see the URL, or even a preview of the page that will open. Make sure the URL is legitimate using the tips above.
Be wary of urgent emails. Scammers will try to make you frightened and anxious by saying something is terribly wrong with your account, or that you’ve been hacked. When you’re scared, you don’t think as well. So if you see an email that is urgent, take a second to really, thoroughly check it- because it may be a scammer trying to catch you off-guard.
If you’re still worried and want to make sure everything is okay, log in to the website but DON’T use the email to access the site. Instead, access the website using a bookmark, google, or just typing in the web address you trust. Once you’re logged in, if there is something wrong, the site will usually alert you.
Phone Calls
You’d be surprised at how sophisticated scam calls are. While we all get the automated robocalls telling us the warranty we don’t have on our car is about to expire, sophisticated scammers can spoof a number you trust, like your bank or credit card company, and pretend to be someone looking out for you. There have even been cases where scammers work together, one calling your bank and the other on the phone with you, and feed your answers to the bank to gain access to your account. So here are some tips to help you stay safe from scam phone calls.
When in doubt, hang up and call back. As we mentioned above, scammers can be pretty sophisticated and smart. It will never hurt to hang up on a call from your “bank” and then call back- using a number you know and trust and not the redial option.
Be wary of urgent calls. Like urgent emails, scammers love to catch you off-guard. If you get a call saying there’s fraud on your credit card, an overdraft, the IRS is coming for you, or you owe- maybe those things did happen! But always hang up and call back through a trusted number. That will allow you to get the real answer.
We hope these tips will help you keep yourself safe and let you know what to watch out for! Keep these things in mind the next time you get a sketchy call, and have a good day.