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Spam and scam, how to avoid it

Monday, December 12th, 2022

Recently there have been more spam and scams than ever before. Scammers are constantly coming up with new ways to try to get more money from you. From “your vehicle is out of warranty”, to “your business isn’t claimed in google”, or “click to confirm your amazon order”, “your order is out for delivery click here to track your package”, or the “IRS is calling about your taxes” – although some of these are obviously, they are quite often creative enough for people to fall for it.

During this time of the year especially there will be increasing attempts at scamming. A study has shown that an alarming 1 of 3 Americans said that they have been a victim of some type of phone scam in the past year.

Here are a few helpful tips.

  • Do not answer unknown calls, simply let them go to voicemail
  • Most businesses will not call you to get your information, most of the time you have to make the call to them.
  • If someone does reach out and you are not sure it is legitimate, be sure to ask them what company they are from and ask to call them back. Be sure to check the number they give you to make sure it matches the information of the business.
  • Do not share such personal information such as your social security, credit card number, banking information, PIN number or any other sensitive information over the phone.
  • If you receive an email, take a moment to see who the email is from (you can mouse over the “sender” to see the address), if it is an unknown sender always be leery.
  • Never click on links that are sent via email unless you know the sender and are expecting an email. If it seems suspicious, it is better to call them before opening an email.
  • Do not share files, or screen share, or give them control of your computer.
  • Avoid any situation where you need to send something immediately, including wire transfer, direct deposit, cash in an envelope or cryptocurrency.
  • Resist the pressure of acting right away.
  • If you are told that you won something, unfortunately chances are you really did not, so do not give any personal information unnecessarily.

We hope that you do not experience any of the above situations. Unfortunately, scam calls alone cost Americans to lose over $59.4 billion dollars in 2021. The average dollar amount lost per person was around $502 per call. With some education, and with asking the right questions, you should find it easier to sniff out these types of calls or emails.

Please remember to report any scam to Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov

This can help protect not only you, but many others from becoming a victim of a scam or bad business practice.


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