Phone Scams
They come in many forms, but they all follow the same basic framework: they call you with claims of a problem with your account and try to convince you to provide your information in order to resolve the problem. Oftentimes the call will be from a spoofed phone number meant to look like the phone number of the institution they are claiming to be with, and they may use automated voices with pleasant, welcoming tones to lower your guard against being fooled.
If a call is unsolicited, that is a red flag. If the caller employs high-pressure tactics to try to get you to act, that is another red flag. Take your time and don’t get pressured into making a spot decision – verify any claims by directly contacting the company through their publicly-available phone number or website.
Text Scams
With cellular phones, voice calls aren’t the only means of attempted scam communications. Text messages can find their way to your phone, with many of the same forms that phone scams employ – from promises of winning a prize, to threats if you don’t pay a supposed fine.
The best way to avoid being impacted by text message scams is to not interact with them directly. Interacting with a message signals that you’re an active phone number, and therefore a potential victim – if not via text, perhaps via voice call. If you have any questions about the authenticity of a communication, follow up with the company directly, not through any phone number or link provided in the text message.
Finally, you can delete the message and report it as spam – it may not stop all scam texts, but it will block the number from your phone and will signal to providers that the number should be monitored and filtered.
Email (Phishing) Scams
Email scams are ubiquitous in today’s world, as scammers try to catch users off-guard and trick them into providing their account access, whether through logging in to a look-alike website or by delivering malware to a victim’s device to collect their passwords or log their keystrokes.
As with phone and text scams, the most important step to avoid being impacted by phishing scams is vigilance. Don’t click on links or download attachments in emails that you were not expecting, and if you have any questions about the legitimacy of a communication, follow up with the company directly via their public website or customer service phone number – not through a link, email address, or phone number listed in the email you’ve received.
Debit and Credit Card Scams
Unsolicited communications aren’t the only potential danger when it comes to bank account scams – debit and credit card information can be stolen through data breaches or even physically cloning your card. Credit card skimmers – small devices placed over legitimate card readers – can capture your card’s information when you swipe, allowing scammers to copy your card data and use it to make fraudulent transactions. They are generally found on ATMs, gas stations, and retail stores’ point-of-sale terminals.
Inspect card readers for anything unusual before using them – if there are mismatched materials like different colored plastic or misaligned card slots, that can be an indication that a skimmer is in place.
Skimmers generally read information from the magnetic stripe on your card – using the EMV chip or contactless (tap-to-pay) options where available can eliminate the risk of falling victim to a card skimmer.
