Did it sound too good to be true? Did it scare you? Did someone text, email, or call you with good news or bad? Unfortunately, you probably didn’t win the lottery. Fortunately, it is unlikely anyone in your family is in trouble. Most likely it was a scammer.
Scammers have become very creative. They have a never-ending array of disguises to get your attention and your money. Scammers pose as IRS agents, law enforcement, utility company representatives, bank employees, charity organizers, lottery officials, and even Medicare personnel. Scammers want you to send them gift cards, or give them your bank information. The schemes are endless but you have nothing to fear. You have the power to beat them.
Scammers pose as IRS agents, law enforcement, utility company representatives, bank employees, charity organizers, lottery officials, and even Medicare personnel.
By following a few guidelines, scammers will not get the best of you. The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office Consumer Protection Unit website offers some practical advice:
■Screen phone calls.
■Don’t give out personal or financial information over the phone, through email, or via text message.
■Don’t open attachments or click on links in emails or messages.
■Resist pressure to act quickly. Talk it over with a friend or family member.
■Verify any information you are given by looking up the information and contacting the company directly.
■If someone asks for payment by wiring money, gift card, or cyber currency, it’s a scam.
■If it sounds too good to be true, it is.
And if you think you have been a victim of fraud, make sure to call the District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Unit at 413-774-3186.
Local Franklin County bank websites offer some very good advice on how to protect yourself from all types of scams. The websites state the banks will never ask you for personal information in an email or text, or over the phone.
So if someone you don’t know tells you your grandchild has been in an accident, or your Social Security number has been compromised, or that you need to buy a gift card to solve some urgent matter: STOP, don’t panic, and don’t react. Take a moment and make a few phone calls of your own to verify that everything is really okay.
