Don’t Let Fear Open the Door to Fraud

By: Mike Burke, Shazam
Sr. Robbery and Crisis Management Consultant

For years, fraudsters have emerged and taken advantage of people when they are most vulnerable. We now need to be more diligent than ever..

For years, fraudsters have emerged and taken advantage of people when they are vulnerable and now the opportunity for fraud is at a high point. Fraudsters prey on emotion. Their favorite is fear.

Please Remember…...

• We will NEVER call, text or email to ask for account numbers, card numbers or your PIN.

• Do not donate to charities until you fact check to make sure the charity is real.

• Be attentive to the elderly. Fraudsters are targeting them with offers to grocery shop and then requesting their private banking information for payment.

• Visit only trusted online shopping sites. Be skeptical of any website that offers premium goods at unbelievable prices - no matter how authentic looking it is. This includes free trial offers that dupe you into monthly fees in the fine print because the dollar amounts are spelled out in words rather than being listed in a typical dollar amount format.

• Do not wire money to anyone without being 100 percent certain you know the receiver is who you think it is. Have you called them using a phone number you have in your contacts to confirm they need the funds? For that matter, very few people ask for money to be wired to them. Talk to your bank or credit union to get advice on how best to move money to someone else.

• Hang up on robocalls. Pressing a key, even the opt-out option, may lead to more calls.

• Don’t respond to texts and emails about checks from the government or about threats from the IRS. Rest assured, if the government wants to get in touch with you, it will likely be by U.S. mail.

Together, we can stop scammers in their tracks and keep cardholders safe, even in uncertain and unprecedented times.

For more information on current and emerging scams: Coronavirus Scams: What the Federal Trade Commission is doing.