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THESE TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS CAN HELP ANYONE AVOID A SCAM
Five habits to fight back against fraudulent schemes.
One proven way to gain the upper hand and even stop a scammer in their tracks has nothing to do with adopting new technologies, but instead following these tips and developing new habits of your own.
Research shows that if a potential victim doesn’t engage with a person who calls, emails or texts, the chance of becoming a victim of the scam in that instance drops to zero*.
In other words, if you can stop the scammer from continuing, or even starting, their message to lure you in, you will likely prevent the attack and NOT get hooked.
The way to do that is to use a variety of simple, effective and scam-ending solutions when you encounter this type of situation. We’ve provided examples and ideas below.
Hang up! Delete! Block!
You have the option of simply refusing to open strange emails, or take calls or read text messages from numbers you don’t recognize or that aren’t in your Contacts. That may seem harsh (and non-business friendly), but keep this in mind: There is nothing that says you have to reply or respond to any message you did not initiate. There are thousands of people who follow this general advice, and they all have this one thing in common: They won’t get scammed anytime soon…if ever at all.
Trust your instincts. Flee when something doesn’t seem right.
In the same way that animals in the wild run whenever they sense a predator nearby, you need to flee the minute you sense that something seems off. For example, imagine that some polite person calls you and says they’re from Banc of California, but you’re not sure they are who they say they are. Simply end the conversation. Remember that you can always call us directly or call the number on the back of your cards. This goes for any account you have.
Become more skeptical.
People who travel regularly follow one major rule: Don’t trust friendly strangers, because many could be predators looking for victims. Business owners and employees need to accept the fact that these days con artists are working harder than ever to find more victims. Small businesses are prime targets, so all employees need to have their antennae up and improve their fraud radar. It’s perfectly fine to be skeptical in all interactions until you’re convinced all is well. (Tip: You don’t have to act skeptical…just be skeptical.)
Talk to a colleague or coworker.
This suggestion may be the most important for every employee. The very last thing a con artist wants is a potential victim to say, “Let me ask someone about this.” Consider this—if a caller (or someone sending a text/email) makes an unusual request, it’s wise to get a second opinion. A legitimate caller or contact won’t mind, but a scammer will not like that idea at all. If you could make getting a second opinion a security policy for your employees, you’d drastically improve your defenses against phishing and impersonator scams.
End any encounter that involves threats or bullying, urgently.
Scammers are bold and will call to impersonate the IRS and other government agencies with demands for payment. They’ll threaten fines or arrest if a payment isn’t made. They will also spoof (copy and imitate) an executive’s email address and then demand that a payment be made immediately by wire transfer. Any encounter involving someone bullying you or an employee is most assuredly a scam, so end it immediately. Along those lines, we’ve written an article on what the IRS will never do, that you can read about here.
Give fraudsters the message:
No one cares about your business more than you.
It’s a fact that scammers are heartless when it comes to their work and will lie, bully and say whatever it takes to make you a victim. You never know who is on the other end of a message if you can’t see them, and scammers don’t identify themselves. You don’t have to know, believe or even wonder if you’re dealing with a scammer. Instead, assume you’re talking to a stranger and you’re responding strictly from a business standpoint.
*“Exposed to Scams: What Separates Victims from Non-Victims?” FINRA Investor Education Foundation; BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust; Stanford Center for Longevity. 2019
The more you know, the better we can work together to protect your accounts.
The best way to stop a potential scam in progress is to say, ‘I need to talk to someone about this.’ The scammer will panic and do everything to keep you from doing that because they know they’ve lost you.
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Best Practices for Avoiding Scams.
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