Cybersecurity scams have been rising ? part - 2

NEW YORK (AP) — October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, making it an ideal time to learn how to safeguard yourself against scams.

Experts suggest that just knowing about common scams can be protective. Robocalls, for example, often target vulnerable groups such as seniors, individuals with disabilities, and those in debt.

James Lee, the chief operating officer at the Identity Theft Resource Center, advises, "If you receive a robocall unexpectedly with a recorded message trying to sell you something, just hang up. The same applies to texts—if you receive one from a number you don’t recognize asking you to pay, wire money, or click on a suspicious link, ignore it."

Lee also recommends that if you have any doubts, you should hang up and directly contact the company or institution using a verified number.

Scammers frequently pose as authority figures, like tax or debt collectors, to appear credible. They might also impersonate a family member or friend, claiming they urgently need money for rent, legal fees, or medical expenses.

Job scams.

Job scams occur when someone poses as a recruiter or a company to trick job seekers into giving away money or personal information.

Scammers often use the name of an employee from a well-known company and create a job posting that resembles real positions. A warning sign, according to Velasquez, is that these fake job offers usually seem too good to be true, making them highly appealing.

"They often offer very high salaries for relatively low-skilled work," she explained. "And they frequently advertise the job as 100% remote, which is very attractive to many people."

"A legitimate employer will only ask for your skills, work experience, and contact information at the start of the hiring process," Velasquez noted. She added that other personal details typically aren't needed until after you've received a job offer.

Investment scams

Lois Greisman, an associate director at the Federal Trade Commission, explains that an investment scam is any scheme promising quick riches that attracts people through social media or online advertisements.

Investment scammers often use fake testimonials from social media accounts to prove their scheme works. Many of these scams also involve cryptocurrency. To protect yourself, the FTC advises doing your own research on the company. This includes searching the company's name with words like "review" or "scam" to see if others have reported issues.

Don’t pick up if you don’t know who is calling

Ben Hoffman, Head of Strategy and Consumer Products at Fifth Third Bank, advises that you should not answer calls from unknown numbers, as scammers frequently use the phone to contact potential victims.

"Banks don't ask for your password," Hoffman stated. If you think your bank is trying to contact you, he recommends calling them back using a phone number found on their official website.

This approach helps ensure that you're not speaking with a scammer. Generally, banks only call if they detect suspicious activity on your account or if you've recently reached out to them with an issue.

If you're getting a lot of calls from unknown numbers that turn out to be scammers or robocalls, you can use spam-blocking tools on your phone. Look up instructions on how to set this up for iPhones and Android devices to help reduce unwanted calls.

Take advantage of the technology available to you

There are numerous tools at your disposal that can help protect you from online scammers.

• Use a password manager to create complex passwords that are hard for scammers to guess.
• Regularly review your credit report and bank statements to spot any unauthorized activity.
• Enable multi-factor authentication to prevent imposters from accessing your social media or bank accounts.

If you're ever unsure, don't hesitate to seek assistance.