Scams are real - and really scary. Every day, scams cause smart people to lose their hard earned money.
Scammers will use tactics like creating a false sense of urgency or making something sound better than it actually is to draw in your attention and convenience you to send money.
It might be a call saying a loved one is in trouble and needs money fast.
It might be a text with 80% that brand that you can never seem to afford.
It might be an email about an issue with one of your accounts.
Scammers have endless ideas on how to trick people out of their money. Recently, they’ve even used AI to sound like celebrities, or even people you know personally.
How can you even begin to stay safe from these attacks?
Start with these simple, but super effective tips:
- Never use Wifi to look at your financial accounts. Even if it has a password, WiFi at hotels, coffee shops, etc are not secure.
- Never share your personal information or any financial information, including passwords or user names. Legitimate businesses do not need you to tell them this information if you’re really their customer.
- Never act on impulse. Scammers want you scared and acting quickly so that you’re not thinking things through. If you ever receive a call, text, or email that sounds scary you can investigate if it’s real by contacting the sender through a different method.
Which leads us to our final “never”...
Never reply to the email or call back number that called you. Scammers pretend to be real people and businesses. For example, if the call says you have a warrant, hang up and contact the local authorities directly or if they say they’re family or friend, hang up and contact them through a different method. And if you don’t know who is contacting you, just hang up or delete the message. Don’t keep a conversation going with an unknown person who will try to manipulate you and convince you to give them information or money.
Avoiding scammers seems impossible, but the key is to pause when an offer seems 'too amazing' or a concern is 'worst case' and be willing to ask for help. As your bank, we are available to help you sort through the information to make a safe decision. Reach out any time!