In 2016, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson declared phishing scams a major threat. This news should not come as a surprise since billions of dollars have been lost to scammers targeting both big businesses and consumers. Internet phishing is especially insidious as it comes in a wide variety of forms, all with the goal of convincing the victim to reveal sensitive information.
Although the scam can come from different angles, the basic setup is the same. The scammer will pose as an authority figure, contact the victim and request sensitive information. Fraudsters will use emails, phone calls, social media and computer virus-infected websites to reach consumers. Fraudsters will assume the roles of IT professionals, banks and even foreign royalty. If the fraudster can convince the victim to reveal personal information, such as bank account passwords or social security numbers, he will use that information to steal the victim's identity or wreak havoc with their finances.
Scam Tracker, an online tool that allows consumers throughout the United States and Canada to report scams trending in their area, found that nearly thirty percent of scams reported in BBB's service area concerned phishing scams. According to reports in Scam Tracker, consumers have been at risk to lose thousands of dollars to unscrupulous swindlers. Recently, notable cases of phishing have been investigated by BBB and released to the public. A few of these cases are as follows:
A wave of fraudulent emails falsely claimed to be from a popular video streaming service. The emails have no connection to the video rental company and are designed to steal financial and other confidential information from the company's customers.
A man from Columbia reported receiving a contest call from a radio station, claiming the consumer could win a free two-night "Grand Bahamas Island Cruise" if he could answer trivia questions. The man became concerned after learning the company providing the cruise had an "F" rating with BBB of Southeast Florida and the Caribbean.
BBB offers the following tips for consumers to avoid phishing:
Research any business and its owners before sharing personal information. Check the company's BBB Business Profile at midmobbb.org or by calling 573-886-8965.
To report suspected scam or learn more about the latest scams trending in your area, go to bbb.org/scamtracker.
As a general rule, you should never share personal or financially sensitive information over the phone or internet. Never send an email with sensitive information to anyone. Make it a habit to check the address of the website. A secure website always starts with "https".
Clicking on links that appear in random emails and instant messages can be dangerous. A phishing email may claim to be from a legitimate company, but will actually take you to a front website that scammers have built to steal your personal information. When in doubt, go directly to the source rather than clicking a potentially dangerous link.
Check in with each of your online accounts on a regular basis. Get into the habit of changing your passwords regularly, too. To prevent bank phishing and credit card phishing scams, you should personally check your statements regularly. Get monthly statements for your financial accounts and check each and every entry carefully to ensure no fraudulent transactions have been made without your knowledge.
Sean Spence is the Mid-Missouri regional director for Better Business Bureau.