Tips For Spotting Online And Telephone Scams

It’s become so common that it’s, at best, an annoyance, and at worst, your identity is stolen. Yes, we are talking about scams. With nearly $8.8 billion lost in scams in 2022, we all wonder how to stop this. Shark Tank star Robert Herjavec spoke with the Good Morning America crew regarding scams. And he gave tips for spotting online and telephone scams and how to protect ourselves.

Tips For Spotting Online And Telephone Scams

In the past, we have always assumed that younger people and the older generation fall victim to scams. Both age groups have not been conditioned to watch out for the red flags that come with fraudulent people. But since many people have been working from home lately, we have all let our guard down and are now more vulnerable to scams.

When at the office, we knew what emails to watch for and were careful not to open an email or link that looked suspicious. But now, with our personal and work emails and phone information co-mingling, we sometimes forget to take that extra step to be careful.

A couple of tips that Robert mentioned are:

• Always verify the email address. Do not automatically believe the title sender, but look deeper and verify the actual email address from where it was sent.
• Look for any grammatical errors. If the email is originating from another country, it may contain typos.
• A financial institution will never ask for your personal information. Whether in an email or over the phone, do not give out your PIN or personal information if they call you.
• Watch out for urgency. Often, the telephone scammer will instill a sense of urgency. They will tell you that you must send money now to avoid a bad situation. The urgency is usually a red flag.

And the scams are getting good. The emails may contain the company’s logo or sound very professional. And on the telephone, scammers may try to connect with you. We are all more likely to believe a friendly and helpful person.

How To Protect Yourself

With the increase in scams – in email, social media and telephone – there are ways to protect yourself. Robert Herjavec recommends a variety of ways:

• Allow the browser to keep your password. When asked about storing your passwords online, Robert replied that your personal information is more likely to be compromised rather than a large company such as Google.
• Set up two-factor authentication. This is when it sends a message to your phone when you log into an important account.
• Only use your work email address for work. Do not give your personal email to work clients. Your work email, such as Outlook, is often more secure and may receive less spam email.

We may understand most of this, but sometimes our older loved ones do not. A guardianship attorney will help answer any questions about establishing guardianship but can stress to your loved ones the importance of being careful.

Oak Brook County Guardianship Attorney

Are you worried that you or someone you care about may have been scammed and needs safeguards? Call us to schedule a consultation with the experienced guardianship attorneys at Estate and Probate Legal Group. Call us at 630-864-5835.

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