Key Rule
- Take a deep breath and don’t give up any personal info
- Allows you to properly read what is written.
- Scams are becoming more elaborate, often using company names and bots.
- Be cautious online, especially if you’re dealing with personal issues
- Scammers target individuals who appear emotionally vulnerable.
How Do Scams Work?
Panic: Inducing Urgency
- Scammers create a sense of urgency by making threats.
- Anyone can pretend to be part of an agency. Always contact the actual representatives for verification.
- Don’t fear losing anything; fear drives compliance with their requests.
Pressure: Adding Details
- Scammers provide additional details to make the situation seem real.
- Their goal is to quickly obtain your money and information.
Requests: Aggressive Demands
- Genuine representatives are rarely aggressive.
- Aggression is a red flag indicating suspicious behavior.
Prevention Tips
Browsing Protection
- Use an ad blocker
- Blocks spam and scam sites automatically.
- Enable enhanced browser protection
- Strengthens security while browsing.
- Silence unknown callers on your phone
- Sends unknown numbers directly to voicemail, reducing spam calls.
General Tips
- Save sensitive pictures on a flash drive and delete them from devices
- Prevents personal info leaks in case of hacking.
- Especially important for work-related images.
- Remove sensitive photos from social media
- Avoid sharing personal info like license plates, locations, etc.
- Use separate emails for different purposes
- Separate primary email from entertainment to minimize hacking impact.
- Store passwords securely
- Use a notebook, flash drive, and password manager for safe storage.
What to Do After a Scam Occurs?
Immediate Steps
- Contact your bank and credit agencies
- Cancel cards, freeze credit, and set up a one-year alert.
- Prevent scammers from accessing your accounts.
- Change all passwords
- Log out of unrecognized devices to block unauthorized access.
- Report the crime to your local police station
- Obtain a police report for ID theft or fraud as a paper record.
- If the station is closed, proceed with other steps first.
- Create new emails for personal, hobbies, and other activities
- Separating emails limits damage if one is compromised.
- Request credit reports from credit agencies
- Check for unauthorized accounts created under your name.
- Use a new email to create accounts with credit agencies if needed.
Longer-Term Steps
- Create stronger passwords
- Write them down in a notebook and store it safely.
- Analyze the scam and make long-term changes
- Use these guidelines to prevent future incidents.
- Get a jurat letter
- A verification under oath document detailing the scam.
- Useful for disputing fraudulent activity tied to your accounts.
Resources
- Recommended YouTube Channels: Fraud Squad, ThioJoe, Scammer Payback
- These channels provide useful tips and insights about scams.