They Are Everywhere
I am sure that most of us have received a suspicious text or email at some point. It might be a message from "your bank" asking you to verify your account, a "delivery notice" from a shipping company you've never used, or a "tech support" call claiming your computer has a virus.
These scams are not going away. In fact, they are getting more sophisticated. But the good news is that the red flags are almost always the same.
Common Red Flags
- Urgency — "Act now!" "Your account will be closed!" Scammers want you to panic so you don't stop to think.
- Requests for personal information — Legitimate companies will never ask for your password, Social Security number, or credit card details via email or text.
- Spoofed sender addresses — The email might look like it comes from a real company, but check the actual address. Often it's a string of random characters.
- Poor grammar and spelling — Many scam messages originate from overseas and contain awkward phrasing or typos.
- Too good to be true — You won a contest you never entered. A prince needs your help transferring millions. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.
What To Do
If you receive a suspicious message:
- Do not click any links or download attachments.
- Do not reply, even to "unsubscribe."
- Contact the company directly using a phone number or website you know is real — not the one in the message.
- Report the scam to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
And if you are ever unsure, call us. We can help you evaluate whether a message is legitimate before you take any action that might put your data at risk.