Fraudsters are getting creative, using this busy time of year as a way to sneak in with the abundance of messages you’re receiving from friends, family, and coworkers—as well as companies wanting your holiday business.
Help stop common scam tactics in their tracks by knowing the warning signs.
Phone & Text Scam: Hacked Account
Recently, scammers have posed as representatives of institutions you trust, claiming your account has been hacked. They can pretend to be from your bank, or from tech companies like Apple, and may sound convincing in their knowledge and urgency. They pressure you to withdraw cash or transfer your money into gift cards while staying on the phone with you.
Email Scam: Request from Recruiter
In another scam, you receive an email about an exciting job opportunity from a well-known company, like Disney, Louis Vuitton, or Ford. The email looks professional and seems to be from a legitimate recruiter, and it includes a link to book a meeting on Calendly, a popular scheduling tool. However, this is a fake Calendly webpage that cybercriminals control. When the site prompts you to log in using you Google or Facebook, you’ll be handing that information directly to the scammers behind the scenes. They can then use it to hack into other personal or work accounts associated with you.
Email Scam: Hotel Reservation
If you’re traveling over the holiday season, you’ll want to be careful about emails you receive related to your plans. In a recent scam, you receive an email about a hotel reservation, claiming that you need to confirm your stay within 24 hours to avoid cancellation. However, this is a phishing tactic, in which the emailed link takes you to a fake confirmation webpage that was created by cybercriminals. If you follow the prompt to enter your credit card number to secure your hotel reservation, you’ll be giving your payment details directly to scammers.
Stay Alert and Protect Your Information
Remember the following when you’re unsure about the legitimacy of a message:
- No legitimate bank or company will:
- Ask you to withdraw cash or buy gift cards for “security” reasons
- Request personal or account information over unsecured means like email, text, or phone
- Instruct you to keep the call active and not speak to anyone while you complete transactions
- Scammers will confuse your common sense by:
- Claiming to be acting on behalf of legitimate-sounding institutions
- Promoting “too good to be true” offers
- Sending urgent messages to scare you or encourage you to act quickly
- Look for clues that the message is a scam by:
- Carefully screening unprompted messages
- Sender slip-ups, like misspelled or mismatched email addresses or website links
- Contacting the company or organization directly through their official website
Always be careful before opening links or attachments sent by someone you don’t know, even if they claim to be from a trustworthy-sounding institution. If in doubt, hang up or delete!
Visit SouthEast Bank’s Information Security Knowledge Hub for more tips and resources to help you safeguard your information.
Information contained in this blog is for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing contained in this blog should be construed as financial, legal or tax advice. An attorney, financial advisor, and/or tax advisor should be consulted for advice based on your circumstances.
