BEWARE OF SCAMS!

By: Nikerson Frederique

PTECH Cybersecurity Instructor

A few months ago, most of us at PCTA received an email from "wobbersont@gmail.com" where the author pretending to be Principal Torchon (stuck in a meeting) asked you to buy him an Amazon gift card. The scammer (fake Mr. Torchon) promised to reimburse you once done with the meeting. Did anyone fall in the trap? Honestly, I almost did, then I quickly remembered a few cybersecurity tips. They indeed helped me avoid the scam. So, what's a scam? How can you protect yourself against scams?

What's a scam?

In general, the term scam is used to "describe any fraudulent business or scheme that takes money or other goods from an unsuspecting person."(https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/s/scam.htm). In the era of new technologies, imposters now combine sophisticated social engineering tools with old fashioned tricks to extort money from unsuspected people or have them give out personal information. 

This email from the pretending Mr. Torchon is indeed one of the most popular scams that have been around for quite a while now. But, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), other popular scams involve many aspects of people's daily lives such as charity, health, investment, lottery and sweepstakes, jobs, education, online dating, immigration, cars, identity theft, shopping, travel, phone fraud, etc. Last year in the US, 167,795 scams were reported which cost $142,895,772.00 to consumers. So far this year, 147,000 cases have been reported for more than $116 millions lost. You can be the next victim, unless you're taking now some measures to protect yourself. 

How can you protect yourself against scams?

The Federal Trade Commission proposes these 10 tips or things you can do to avoid fraud:

1. Spot imposters. Scammers often pretend to be someone you trust, like a government official, a family member, a charity, or a company you do business with. Don’t send money or give out personal information in response to an unexpected request — whether it comes as a text, a phone call, or an email.  
2. Do online searches. Type a company or product name into your favorite search engine with words like “review,” “complaint” or “scam.” Or search for a phrase that describes your situation, like “IRS call.” You can even search for phone numbers to see if other people have reported them as scams.
3. Don’t believe your caller ID. Technology makes it easy for scammers to fake caller ID information, so the name and number you see aren’t always real. If someone calls asking for money or personal information, hang up. If you think the caller might be telling the truth, call back to a number you know is genuine.
4. Don’t pay upfront for a promise. Someone might ask you to pay in advance for things like debt relief, credit and loan offers, mortgage assistance, or a job. They might even say you’ve won a prize, but first you have to pay taxes or fees. If you do, they will probably take the money and disappear. 
5. Consider how you pay. Credit cards have significant fraud protection built in, but some payment methods don’t. Wiring money through services like Western Union or MoneyGram is risky because it’s nearly impossible to get your money back. That’s also true for reloadable cards (like MoneyPak or Reloadit) and gift cards (like iTunes or Google Play). Government offices and honest companies won’t require you to use these payment methods.
6. Talk to someone. Before you give up your money or personal information, talk to someone you trust. Con artists want you to make decisions in a hurry. They might even threaten you. Slow down, check out the story, do an online search, consult an expert — or just tell a friend.
7. Hang up on robocalls. If you answer the phone and hear a recorded sales pitch, hang up and report it to the FTC. These calls are illegal, and often the products are bogus. Don’t press 1 to speak to a person or to be taken off the list. That could lead to more calls.
8. Be skeptical about free trial offers. Some companies use free trials to sign you up for products and bill you every month until you cancel. Before you agree to a free trial, research the company and read the cancellation policy. And always review your monthly statements for charges you don’t recognize.
9. Don’t deposit a check and wire money back. By law, banks must make funds from deposited checks available within days, but uncovering a fake check can take weeks. If a check you deposit turns out to be a fake, you’re responsible for repaying the bank.
10. Sign up for free scam alerts from the FTC at ftc.gov/scams. Get the latest tips and advice about scams sent right to your inbox.

In the case of the "fake" Mr. Torchon's email asking for Amazon gift cards, check the email address more closely. Have you ever received an email from Mr. Torchon before using that email address? Next, check for grammar and spelling errors. Is it Mr. Torchon's writing style or habit? Remember, scammers prey on your kindness and emotion. When emotionally charged we don't always think rationally. So, take a deep breath and allow yourself a few seconds to scrutinize the message before making a decision. 

So, next time you receive such emails, you now know what to do. If you like your Principal and still want to do something nice to show him your appreciation, check with him first to make sure it not the bad guy at the other side of the fence. 

Sources:

https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/scam-statistics?scamid=all&date=2019

http://www.ftc.gov/scams

https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/s/scam.htm