The holiday season is upon us and the FBI New York reminds New Yorkers to be aware of criminals looking to steal money and personal information through various types of cyber crimes and fraudulent activity. Scammers frequently employ a variety of techniques to fool potential victims, including conducting fraudulent auction sales, reshipping merchandise purchased with stolen credit cards, selling fraudulent or stolen gift cards through auction sites at discounted prices, and engaging in a number of phishing and smishing schemes.
Special Agent in Charge Mary Galligan said, "We must remain vigilant while working to protect our personal information from getting into the hands of criminals who wish to cause financial harm. This warning should serve as a reminder for everyone to practice due diligence this holiday season."
Scammers use many techniques to deceive potential victims for their own personal gain. Internet criminals are no exception. Many criminals post classified ads or auctions for products they do not have. Fraudsters receive an order from a victim, charge the victim's credit card for the amount of the order, then use a separate, stolen credit card for the actual purchase. They pocket the purchase price obtained from the victim's credit card and have the merchant ship the item directly to the victim. When an item is purchased from an online auction, but received directly from the merchant, this is a strong indication of fraud. Victims of such a scam not only lose the money paid to the fraudster, but may be liable for receiving stolen goods.
Shoppers may help avoid these scams by using caution and not providing financial information directly to the seller. Always use a legitimate payment service to ensure a safe purchase. Protect yourself by checking each seller's ratings and feedback, and be wary of anyone with 100 percent positive feedback if they have a low number of postings.
Gift card scams are also a concern. Exercise caution when purchasing gift cards through auction sites or classified ads, it is safest to purchase them directly from the merchant or an authorized retail store. This will give the merchant a chance to deactivate the gift card number if fraudulent and thereby protect your purchase.
Existing phishing and smishing schemes have also been developed for promoting fraudulent activity. In a phishing scheme, fraudsters will pose as a valid entity and use e-mails and scam websites to obtain victims' personal information, such as account numbers, user names, passwords, etc. Smishing is the act of sending fraudulent text messages to bait a victim into revealing personal information.
Exercise due diligence when receiving e-mails or text messages that indicate a problem or question regarding your financial accounts. In this scam, fraudsters direct victims to follow a link or call a number to update an account or correct a purported problem. The link directs the victim to a fraudulent website or message that appears legitimate. Instead, the site allows the fraudster to steal any personal information the victim provides.
Current smishing schemes involve fraudsters calling victims' cell phones offering to lower the interest rates for credit cards the victims do not even possess. If a victim asserts that they do not own the credit card, the caller hangs up. These fraudsters call from TRAC cell phones that do not have voicemail, or the phone provides a constant busy signal when called, rendering these calls virtually untraceable.
Another scam involves fraudsters directing victims, via e-mail, to a spoofed website. A spoofed website is a fake site that misleads the victim into providing personal information, which is routed to the scammer's computer.
Phishing schemes related to deliveries are also rampant this holiday season. Legitimate delivery service providers neither e-mail shippers regarding scheduled deliveries nor state when a package is intercepted or being temporarily held. Consequently, e-mails informing of such delivery issues are phishing scams that can lead to personal information breaches and financial losses.
Special Agent Richard Kolko said, "Many will be targeted this year by individuals looking to exploit personal and financial information for their own personal agenda. Be smart—protect yourself and your families from the crooks who look to manipulate this information and use it to their own advantage. If it doesn't seem right, it probably isn't."
To protect yourself from falling victim to fraudulent schemes this holiday season, the FBI also recommends the following tips:
• Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) e-mail.
• Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.
• Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders. Scan the attachments for viruses if possible.
• Avoid filling out forms contained in e-mail messages that ask for personal information.
• Always compare the link in the e-mail with the link to which you are directed and determine if they match and will lead you to a legitimate site.
• Log directly onto the official website for the business identified in the e-mail, instead of "linking" to it from an unsolicited e-mail. If the e-mail appears to be from your bank, credit card issuer, or other company you deal with frequently, your statements or official correspondence from the business will provide the proper contact information.
• Contact the actual business that supposedly sent the e-mail to verify if the e-mail is genuine.
• If you are asked to act quickly, or there is an emergency, it may be a scam. Fraudsters create a sense of urgency to get you to act quickly.
• Verify any requests for personal information from any business or financial institution by contacting them using the main contact information.
To receive the latest information about cyber scams, please go to the FBI website and sign up for e-mail alerts.
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