With Halloween coming up, kids are looking forward to dressing in costumes, carving pumpkins and going to haunted houses. Most adults know the really scary things in life don’t have to be sought out, because they find you.
Scammers want your money, and they’re willing to lie and persuade to get it. The best way to avoid getting scammed is by knowing how to recognize scammers when they call and how to fend off cyber attacks.
Here are some of the most common scams and how to avoid their trappings:
Tax imposter scam
Also called the “tax imposter scam,” the IRS scam was the top reported scam to the Better Business Bureau last year, with over 6,200 reports in the U.S. and Canada. If you have a problem with your taxes, the IRS will contact you through the mail — never via phone call, email or text message. Scammers often threaten imprisonment, arrest, lawsuits and deportation to those who won’t act quickly.
The IRS does not operate this way and has no right to threaten you because of back taxes. If you receive contact from a tax scammer, hang up or block contact and report it immediately.
If you’re worried you owe taxes, contact the IRS directly at (800) 829-1040 or through irs.gov.
Phishing scams
It might sound like something that affects marine life, but phishing is serious stuff for people. When criminals create replicas of regularly visited sites, they can obtain your username and password information. Because most people use the same passwords for everything, it’s easy for scammers to then access every account you have online.
This can be especially dangerous when you have financial information online through several different websites. Although it might be a chore to remember a different password for each site, you can use pneumonic devices as well as variations on the same passwords so hackers don’t have immediate access to all your online accounts.
Email scams
Not all scams get auto-sorted to your spam box, so it’s good to know the signs. Scam emails usually come from an unconfirmed, unfamiliar or untrustworthy source. However, some scammers may hack into a friend’s email and send you malware or other virus software to steal information from your computer.
If you receive a suspicious or strange email from a friend’s email account, contact them personally before proceeding. If it’s an email with a link you’re fairly certain is spam, just delete it. Never give out sensitive information online to an unknown source.
Other cyber attacks
Your online accounts and email aren’t the only ways scammers access your information. Online shopping is another activity that demands vigilance. When shopping online, use only known and trusted brands that have a secure website — the URL will say "https" instead of "http" — and use a credit card, so it’s easier to detect fraudulent charges. Report any scams and stay on top of common ones with the BBB scam tracker.
To ensure all devices in your home and business are protected, invest in reliable and updated anti-virus software, and consider implementing an internet firewall. Countless resources exist to protect you from cyber attacks.
Any time you have a question about cyber security, follow the BBB’s five-step approach.
