When the Charleston woman saw on Caller ID that the call was from her bank, she picked it up without a second thought. She soon learned, according to the caller, there had been a potential $1,000 fraud on a debit card and started asking questions.
Fortunately, something seemed a little fishy to the Charleston resident, who opened up her account as the caller was talking. There wasn’t an odd charge on her online statement. So the customer ended the call and called the bank — to find out what you now probably suspect. It was a scam.
This resident did the right thing. If something sounds a little off, take the power away from the caller. As a result, the Charleston resident had an inconvenience — she had to get a new debit card — but she didn’t get scammed like too many people are these days. But in an age where we’re relying more on digital technology, scammers are getting so smart that they are spoofing numbers from banks, government agencies, Amazon and everything in between.
Charlotte Cowles, a financial-advice columnist with thecut.com, recently wrote: “Frauds are constantly evolving, but most fall into one of two categories: The fear-based (you owe taxes, you’re about to be arrested, your identity has been stolen, a family member has been kidnapped or arrested and you need to pay ransom or bail, etc.) or the opportunity-based (you’re getting access to a great investment, a fantastic discount, lottery winnings, a tax refund, romance).”
And she learned first-hand how bad it can be, after falling last year for a clever imposter scheme that cost her $50,000. So here are some ways she suggests to protect yourself in a time when foreign fraudsters persist:
- Be careful about the calls you answer. Cowles says to not pick up calls from people who aren’t in your contacts — even if the phone tells you who they are. If an authentic person really wants to reach you, they’ll leave a voicemail and you can double-check their number.
- Don’t trust, but verify. Be careful about your instinct to defer to authority, Cowles writes. Ask the caller for the name of their supervisor and exactly where they work. Then hang up and verify, like the Charleston woman did. “An advanced scammer will also establish a sense of familiarity. In my case, the people who contacted me knew my birthday, my address, the names of my family members and where they lived, and the last four digits of my Social Security number.” Such information, unfortunately, is pretty easy for a malicious person to find.
- Slow things down. Even though some kinds of threats are particularly scary, invent a reason to slow down the process (bad connection, need for bathroom, someone at the door) so you can think and get off of an emotional precipice.
- Tell someone else. Lots of scammers will tell you why you can’t share what’s happening — and they’ll prey on your fear. But if you say it all out loud to someone, the fishiness of the whole situation may become obvious.
Be careful. Be vigilant. And check law enforcement and other websites for more advice on how to protect yourself.
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