The scammers and the hackers are getting better as they employ sophisticated Artificial Intelligence tools to try and take your money.
As an example, here are a few things that I’ve personally witnessed over the past few months:
TEXT MESSAGES
I’ve received the following texts:
- Virginia DMV demanding payment for an unpaid traffic ticket, so click on a link to avoid prosecution.
- IRS is about to shut me down, so click on a link to connect with a representative.
- USPS package was undeliverable, so click on a link to connect with a representative.
- A text from a number I didn’t recognize saying “We haven’t spoken in a long time and I was wondering how you were.”
These hacker and scammer texts are designed to peak our curiosities and once we click on that link, we’re potentially opening our phones, email accounts and lives up to bad people.
As a rule, I delete these unverifiable text messages. If it claims to be from a company I do business, I’ll separately get the official phone number from an account statement or from accessing their corporate website and then call them.
SCARY VIDEOS
There are new Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities that allow folks to make pretty realistic videos based on photographs of family or can sample our voices. These capabilities can be used to confuse parents and grandparents into sending money for an alleged emergency involving a loved one. It hasn’t happened to me personally, but I find this incredibly disturbing as it preys on peoples’ deepest fears. Having a family CODE WORD for emergencies can help thwart this fraud technique.
AUTHENTICATION AND ACCESS
In the past week, there was an article in the national news reporting that 16 BILLION Apple, Facebook, Google and other passwords were leaked online.
Passwords with Numbers and Special Characters used to be enough. Then came multifactor authentication (email and cell phone). Now, there are authenticator applications put out by Google and Microsoft designed to keep us safe. The companies that you interact with online will have security protocols. If you ever have a problem, their security folks will be more likely to help if you were honoring their security protocols. It’s usually things like having firewall/anti-virus software, keeping your passwords secure, etc.
The scammers and hackers are constantly sending us nefarious links to all sorts of crazy stuff. Some texts I’ve received have occasionally made me second guess myself. In this ongoing battle with the scammers and hackers, the statistics are not on our side in that we must be right 100% of the time. The hackers and scammers only have to be right once.
Your best defense is to educate yourself on and implement best practices. Below I’ve included a few links that can help you get started on educating yourself on keeping you and your money safe from the fraudsters.
https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams
https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/fraud-fighters-best-tips/
https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/pause-reflect-protect/