We hear it often whenever our nation faces a crisis, especially one as far reaching and ubiquitous as the coronavirus pandemic. “We’re all in this together,” we’re told. But we aren’t. No, there are those among us for whom there is no crisis which can’t be exploited. Federal officials are already seeing scammers working to get their hands on your personal information and money by taking advantage of the proposed emergency checks many could receive to help them cope with lost income from the pandemic…even before the payment plan has been finalized. So, how do you recognize you are being scammed? Click HERE for information from the Federal Trade Commission.
Of course, there are lots of other scams out there, too. But, in the immortal words of Admiral Ackbar in Star Wars Episode VI, “It’s a trap!” Here are a number valuable and timely tips on foiling their evil plans from Ben Squires, a Network Administrator (code for IT nerd) for Two Rivers Marketing, one of the fine companies under the Woodward Communication, Inc. umbrella shared by WAPL’s employee owners.
“Right on cue; bad actors are trying to take advantage of an emergency. They’ll attempt to scam you or launch phishing attacks that attempt to get you to click on malicious links or open compromised email attachments.
Here are some of the most common indicators that the phone call or email you received is most likely a scam or attack.
•Messages that communicate a tremendous sense of urgency. The bad guys are trying to rush you into making a mistake.
•Any message that pressures you into bypassing or ignoring security measures.
•Messages that promote products that will “protect you.” If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
•Be suspicious of any new web sites or mobile apps specifically set up for the coronavirus. Google and Apple are working to remove those from their respective App stores. Search engines like Google and Bing are working actively to remove malicious search engine results. Social networks would be following suit. It’s a team effort to remove bad/fake information.
•Be very suspicious of any phone call or message that pretends to be an official or government organization urging you to take immediate action.”
Use common sense, stay vigilant and wash your hands.
