The Latest Scams
As our technology advances, so do the scams. In an attempt to protect our readers from criminals who tirelessly attempt to empty our bank accounts and steal our identities, we wanted to alert you to some of the latest ones.
Hacking Email Accounts: A few weeks ago, as we were preparing to go to press, an alert popped up on the desktop, informing us that our internet was about to shut down due to an error that needed fixing immediately. Since we were hours from going to press and needed our computer for that purpose, my husband, unfortunately, panicked and clicked on the link. The next morning, we received no less than forty phone calls or texts asking us why we needed money and which daughter was a victim of the fires in LA. (We have no children living in California.)
The perpetrators had access for less than 24 hours, but they reached hundreds of our contacts and there was no way we could reach everyone to alert them. We immediately changed our password and contacted everyone we could, but it was a monumental task.
Malware that Threatens Your Bank Account: Merely changing your password – and email – may not entirely solve the problem. One of the people who was contacted by our criminal hacker during the above incident spoke with me and warned me to tell my bank about the hacking. He explained that a friend of his was hacked while he and his wife were in the middle of selling their house. Unknown to them, as they changed their passwords and went on with their lives, the hackers, who had been privy to their email, knew about the impending sale of their home. The hackers contacted the escrow company by email, said that they changed bank accounts and please send the money accordingly. It resulted in a terrible surprise for the actual sellers. The hackers stole all of their money from the sale. The victims fought to have their money restored, but only got half of it, because, according to the escrow company, they had not been informed of the hacking, and it was partly their fault.
I immediately called our bank, and was so glad I did. Our bank quickly put a stop to any online activity involving our accounts and checked for malware. Before restoring any online payments, we had to have our computer professionally checked for any suspicious activity to ensure that the hackers didn’t attach any malware to our computer.
Anything connected to a bank account – including any direct deposits, any Social Security or Medicare, any debit card or any business-related accounts, such as billing for small businesses by email – anything that includes your name or account numbers that might have been on your hacked computer needs to be checked. These criminals will try to get our money any way they can, so we have to prevent it. With credit cards and 401K accounts there is some protection, but with your bank accounts that isn’t always the case – you must contact them and alert them.
Lately, texts messages from criminals, pretending to be your bank, claim that someone is trying to wire money from your account – and they insist that immediate action is needed. Someone then calls you on your cell phone – with a number that looks like your bank – needing information and a password. If you give it, they take all your money. No actual bank is that quick in contacting you. Don’t respond, and instead call your bank from a number that you know is truly your banking institution.
More Hacking Attempts through Text Messaging: We all get them – the annoying text messages on our cell phones from an unknown source. You need to pay a Pennsylvania Turnpike toll immediately or your driver's license will be suspended. You have a package that can’t be delivered unless you click on the link. The IRS is giving you a surplus refund, click here to get it. Or, “Hello, is this Joe’s phone?” Delete those messages and don’t ever respond. They’re criminals and they just want your money or your identity. My husband and I always assume that these emails, texts, or phone calls are hackers. If in doubt, call the number that you already have on file of the bank, business, or government and talk to someone. Granted, the IRS is unreachable. But they never contact you by email or text first. It’s always by regular mail.
Check Washing: Paying through the mail is becoming rarer these days, but sometimes we have to do it. If that is the case, take your bill or birthday card or whatever envelope has money in it, and mail it inside the post office, preferably during business hours. Recently there have been a few incidents where criminals break into outside mailboxes at the post office, or raid personal mail boxes from our homes. (I happened to catch a man walking by our home taking a peek inside our mailbox, on a weekday and in the morning. When I opened the door, he ran.)
These mailbox raiders steal checks that we believe have been mailed and are on their way to their destinations. They then do an acid-wash and remove the recipient’s name, put their own name in its place, and cash the check. They usually acid-wash the amount, too, and replace that number with thousands of dollars. Black ink is a bit more difficult to erase, so be sure to write the check with black ink. When you can, pay bills online (and get a receipt) or, if the business is local, drop off the bill at the business to whom you owe the money.
Some bills, like our taxes to the state or the county, for example, often have to be mailed. A good option is priority mail. Though it is more costly, you can track it. Two years ago, I mailed a quarterly tax return to the state of Pennsylvania, and it still hasn’t arrived. I had to pay it again, and that time I used priority mail – and thankfully it reached the destination.
Shopping on Insecure Sites: More and more people are shopping online. While most are legitimate, criminals are cleverly copying their logos and pretending to be our favorite stores. If a sale sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Be careful when browsing online. Make sure you see the padlock logo in the corner and the https before the rest of the email address. Pay with a credit card instead of your debit card for added protection. If you happen to be snookered, your credit card company will go after the thief and you’re more likely to get your money refunded.
Phony QR Codes: QR Codes, the little squares on an ad, bill, or menu that scan to upload information on your phone, are ubiquitous and usually very helpful. Criminals are now using them for their own dubious schemes. While Gettysburg is still (mostly) safe from these phony codes, restaurants in big cities in the U.S. (and abroad), or packages you might receive in the mail with a QR code inside, might be suspicious. Taking a photo of these codes allows hackers access to your phone and whatever private information you may have on it. Think before you click on one.
Artificial Intelligence: AI looks real, and sounds real. A criminal can, from a Facebook or Instagram video, record your voice or the voice of a loved one and clone it. They call a parent or grandparent and claim to have kidnapped your loved one. Or your “family member” can “call” you and say they desperately need money. The criminals can even copy the phone number so it seems like the relative is actually calling you. They can create a photo, downloaded from social media, that realistically portrays you or a loved one that isn’t you, or them. The old adage seeing is believing isn’t the case anymore. Have a code-word between you and family members, and stick to it. And think twice before you upload personal photos and videos on social media.
It used to be that we could easily discern a phony email or text because of the bad grammar and misspelled words. AI has changed that. Criminals across the world who barely speak English now access Artificial Intelligence that corrects their words and sentences.
Going back to our original hacked email, if you get an email from a supposed friend or family member mysteriously asking you to contact them, or requesting money, it’s more than likely just another scam. And let that friend know about it – but don’t click on the link the hacker gave you. You’ll just contact the criminal that way instead of the friend you hope to warn.
There are myriad ways criminals find to potentially separate us from our money and our good names. These are just a few of them that are making the circuit today.
It’s a shame that we must be so hyperattentive and operate these days with a healthy dose of distrust, but we have to do it.
Pass the word and stay safe.
