Today, Scammers and hackers have found many new ways to destroy our sense of security. Whether through phone, text, or email, scammers take on identities they believe their victims will trust. As technologies become more advanced, so have the scams. Fraudsters of today have figured out ways to conceal themselves from their targets by becoming masters of deception. Posing as real identities, they hope their victims don’t notice the small details that would give them away.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, approximately 200,000 people have already fallen victim from imposter scams in 2023, fraudulent calls claiming a false identity inquiring about money or identity. Now is the time, more than ever, to learn about scams– how scammers reach their victims, how to prevent being a victim, and what to do if you find yourself in a desperate situation.
In a May 31, 2023 AARP article about scammers targeting ethnic communities, readers learned about a 49-year old Honduran immigrant who fell victim to a company claiming it could help him obtain a green card for an application fee of $10,000. Add an additional $15,000 to get the actuarial card, and our victim here was out $25,000. Simply put, scammers prey upon ethnic and immigrant communities for their lack of English fluency and unfamiliarity with how government agencies work. Immigrants scammed by predators sensing and latching onto gullibility and vulnerability will only advocate for themselves if they feel they’re going to be heard. If they’re presented with apparently easy shortcuts through the complicated process of obtaining citizenship, they will more likely than not fall victim to a scam.
Prevent Hacking and Information Gathering
Fraudster information that is gathered is often obtained through online tools and having successfully hacked a system. Therefore, the best way to prevent the gathering of information is to be cautious when handling online devices. In addition to keeping software and operating systems up to date, virus and identity protection programs can prevent digital break-ins. Never doubt the power of a strong password! Updating it frequently could save you from being hacked.
Practice General Tech Safety
It is important to be wary of links sent by unknown contacts, as well as those sometimes sent by friends. When hackers use the accounts of friends and families to send messages to their personal networks, the trusting click of a victim could result in a continuous cycle of hacking and later scams. Paying attention to the details of logos and spelling is also imperative since websites and links could seem legit when really a small purposeful error indicates fraud. Always be skeptical when asked for personal information online, especially when it comes to your social security number. If you need to submit sensitive information online, look the site up on a different page to ensure the site you’re viewing is authentic and not a fake.
Be Careful With Those Calls
Be just as careful with phone calls, which have increasingly been cause for more panic. With a convincing caller ID, name, and sometimes even speaker voice, phone calls can come across as urgent and trigger receivers to act without thinking. If a caller or machine requests information or action through a phone call, follow similar suit in researching the contact and its number online. Redial and call again to ensure validity. Ensuring validity could prevent identity theft and swindling!
Rest assured that sectors within the government, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and the FBI will never call for money. The government, in general, would not use threats to coerce action. If you feel pressured in any way, take a step back to evaluate.
Know Emergency Protocols
When coming across an illegitimate site or party, it is important to notify the authorities right away. Depending on what information and money has been stolen, there is a course of action to follow. If you had your identity compromised, you would want to go to local law enforcement and report to identitytheft.com. If your issue involved fake checks or lottery scams, the Federal Trade Commission would be the group to tell. If something smaller scale happened, such as your social media was hacked, a simple change in passwords would do the trick.
Susan Chin, a 67 year old retired insurance agency receptionist spoke to Sampan about some of the tactics she uses to protect herself from scammers.
“I don’t answer my phone when my Caller ID tells me it’s Spam. If you don’t recognize the number, just don’t answer. All you’ll get will be people telling you youre payments are due or your package has arrived. Don’t be scared. They want to scare you.They want to confuse you. If they confuse you, just hang up” A 55 yr old hospital administrator told Sampan a chilling story about being scammed by a caller who said he was from the IRS and that she owed back taxes and she would lose her house if she didn’t immediately pay her taxes that day. She knew she did not owe the IRS anything but the caller was so convincing that she began to doubt herself and ultimately sent him a large amount of money. These two women said they were attacked because they were immigrants. They were successful professional women but they both described a fear of authority figures which they grapple with everyday. They know that they must call the police or just a friend to reduce the anxiety and fear which scammers will cause inside them.
Forbes reports this year that the pace of technological innovation, ie; AI 5G, IoT can identify target vulnerabilities for hackers. That attack surface has become more of an exploitable as data grows and connectivity expande. Almost 340 million people have been affected by data because in 2023, according to “The Independent Cyber Security” Today. It is more important to be cautious.
