As the world progresses with the latest technology, hackers and fraudsters continue to find new ways to trick you and steal your personal information. But don't worry, Vibe is here to keep you in the know with the latest scams to watch out for.
Mail
To begin, mail theft is on the rise in our area. Stealing your mail allows fraudsters to gain a substantial amount of information from you, including where you bank, who your mobile provider is, and possibly your checks. After the fraudsters have this information, they can set about altering your checks, changing your SIM from your mobile provider, and gaining access to your online banking. Here are some tips to prevent yourself from falling victim to mail fraud:
- Install a security camera near your mailbox.
- Write checks in black gel ink; they are harder to alter.
- Sign up for eStatements, so paper mail will not get delivered to your mailbox.
- Contact your mobile carrier and place a 4-to-6-digit security pin on your account.
- Sign up for Informed Delivery by USPS; this will allow you to see your mail before it's delivered.
- Sign up for alerts in online banking to be notified when transactions hit your account.
Online Shopping
If you're online shopping, make sure you're buying from reputable, secure sites. A good way to know whether a site is secure is if the URL starts with https:// rather than http://. The "s" indicates whether the site is secure or not.
Grandparent scams
Many fraudsters will pretend to be a loved one, in most cases a Grandparent, to get you to send money. Most times, they'll call, claiming to be your grandparent. They may tell a story that their car broke down or they lost their wallet and need you to send them money. Hang up immediately! Contact your grandparent, and confirm what they're asking you to do.
Tech support
Another latest scam to know is through tech support. Scammers will contact you pretending to be Tech Support and request access to your device to fix a technical issue. Once you relinquish access to your device, they can hack into it and steal your personal information. Please don't fall for it!
Utility shut-off
Similar to impersonating tech support, scammers also try to impersonate utility companies like electric, water, and gas. Their tactic is to inform you that they will shut off their services unless you provide payment information to pay your bill(s). But you have all the tools to know better than to fall for this! Be sure to call the utility company's main business line and tell them what happened. You could help prevent someone else from falling victim in the future!
