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Stop Social Engineering Scams! How To Safeguard Your Personal Information Online

With modern technology, we are more interconnected than ever before. While this offers immense opportunities for nearly instantaneous communication all over the world, it can also leave us open to social engineering scams.

These scams come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but their primary goal is to manipulate people into giving away personal information that can be used for fraudulent purposes, whether that’s identity theft or system access. Internet users of all ages should be aware of social engineering as scammers continue to become more sophisticated—and harder to spot!

You’ve probably already encountered one of these attempts. Maybe an email claimed you won a large sum of money, but you need to send in a small “processing fee.” Or a phone call that looks like it’s from an official number tells you there’s a problem with your account. These are both examples of social engineering.

Understanding Social Engineering Works

Unlike traditional hacking that takes advantage of security vulnerabilities, social engineering exploits human nature and emotions. By preying on fear, excitement, or urgency, scammers can trick you into giving up personal data.

Take that email, for example. The natural first response when someone says, “You’ve won!” is excitement. A calmer, second reaction would be to wonder, “Did I sign up for any contests?” Scammers are relying on that first burst of emotion to override your caution, which is the entire point of social engineering.

The Many Faces of Manipulation

Social engineering scams come in many forms, but they are all designed with one purpose in mind: to manipulate victims into actions that are against their best interests. Here are some the most common tactics to watch out for.

• Phishing Scams

  Usually arriving in the form of emails, phishing communications may look like they come from legitimate sources, even using real (albeit stolen) logos and possibly even your real name. They’ll request sensitive information or direct you to fake websites that capture your data. They may also come with attachments that, when opened, download malware to your device.

• Smishing Scams

  Smishing is short for “SMS phishing,” and uses similar tactics. These text messages usually give you a link to click or a phone number to call to “fix” a problem or claim a prize. The link may take you to a fake website or download malware, and the phone number is a direct line to a scammer who’s out for your information.

• Vishing / Voice Phishing

  With vishing scams, you’ll get a call either from a recorded phone system or possibly a real person. The phone number may even look like it’s coming from someone you trust, like your financial institution or your local utilities. With the recent advances in AI, it’s even become possible for scammers to use recordings of a family member or friend (often from social media) to trick you into thinking they’re in trouble and need money.

• Pretext Calls

  Often part of voice phishing, a scammer on a pretext call might pose as a technician, asking for access to your financial or personal information in order to “fix” a problem.

• Imposter Scams

  In an imposter scam, the caller takes advantage of your trust in a person or entity, like a known charity, to solicit funds or information. These often become more frequent in the wake of a natural disaster or other event when people want to help out.

• Baiting Attacks

  This sort of scam takes advantage of your curiosity, using something as “bait” to lure you in. For example, if you find a USB found on the ground, you might be tempted to plug it into your computer to see if you can discover who it belongs to or if there’s anything important on it. There likely is something on it—malware that will infect your computer.

• Quid Pro Quo

  Like the Latin phrase it comes from, “quid pro quo” scams operates on the principle that you have to give something to get something. For example, if you give a tech support representative remote access to your computer, you’ll get your computer fixed. And while this works in theory, you’ll want to be very sure who it is on the other end of the line who you’ve just given access to.

  Employment scams are another example of quid pro quo. In order to apply for a job, you’re asked for important personal financial information like your Social Security number or bank account numbers. Legitimate jobs won’t ask for this information at the application stage.

Protecting Yourself from Social Engineering

While the sheer number of scams can feel overwhelming, there are some basic steps you can take to protect yourself and your personal information. In general, a little awareness and skepticism can go a long way toward keeping you safe. Here are some proactive strategies to defend yourself against social engineering scams.

• Be cautious!

  Never give out personal information to anyone you don’t know and trust, regardless of how urgent or important they sound. Be especially wary if it’s an unsolicited phone call. Hang up, then call them back at a number you know is legitimate.

• Verify, Verify, Verify!

  If you receive a call, email, or text message claiming to be from a legitimate source, don’t respond directly. Instead, type in the company’s website by hand to log in to your account or look up the company’s phone number and contact them directly.

• Think before you click!

  Don’t click on links or attachments in emails or text messages unless you’re absolutely sure who sent it. For emails, you can click on the “From” field to see the source email. A long string of nonsense letters or otherwise questionable address is a dead giveaway. Report the email or text as junk and delete it immediately.

• Be mindful of what you share online.

  Review your privacy settings on social media and limit the amount of personal information you share publicly. Scammers spend a great deal of time browsing social media and collecting information about you that they can use to try to trick you.

• Educate yourself and your family!

  Empower your family—especially your teens and pre-teens—with knowledge. Talk to them about social engineering scams and how to stay safe online.

• Keep your software and devices updated.

  Many updates include security patches that can help protect you from malware and other threats. Turn on automatic updates to help ensure your devices are up to date.

• Report suspicious activity!

  If you do encounter a scam, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/. The more information they have, the better able they are to prosecute scammers and put them out of business for good.

Further Support and Resources

Recognizing and protecting against social engineering scams is an ongoing effort. By staying informed about the latest fraud tactics, you can be on guard against new threats as they arise. You can also check out these websites for more resources:

• CISA (Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency) is the government agency in charge of cyber defense. Check out their website at https://www.cisa.gov/ for some great information on cybersecurity.
• https://www.knowbe4.com/ is a great resource for knowledge and training on social engineering scams, especially if you happen to own a small business.

Building a Secure Online Presence

Just like you lock your doors and shred sensitive papers to protect yourself in the physical world, it’s important to protect yourself in the digital realm, too. Understanding the ways scammers use social engineering techniques can help you stay safe and reduce the chances that you’ll fall for a scam.

Stay vigilant, stay informed, and, most of all, stay safe so you can continue to enjoy the benefits of our connected world.

Fraud Prevention Toolkit: Understanding Credit Freezes

In this digital era, identity theft has become a prevalent and insidious threat. It preys on the personal information in your credit report and creates significant financial and emotional risks to everyone, regardless of income.

Stealthy threats like identity theft have made personal credit monitoring crucially important to the average American, allowing you to quickly take steps to safeguard your financial information.

Today, there are many resources available to protect yourself from the damages caused by fraud or a stolen identity. Credit freezes stand out as a powerful tool to protect against the devastating consequences. While the idea of “freezing credit” may seem intimidating to some people, a credit freeze is something each person can implement on their own accounts when they think an account might have been compromised.

But what exactly is a credit freeze, and how does it work? Let’s take a closer look.

What is a Credit Freeze?

A credit freeze, also known as a security freeze, is a tool that allows you to restrict access to your credit report. Since lenders and other companies rely on the information in your credit report to grant loans or open new accounts, freezing your credit prevents any new activity.

To initiate a credit freeze, individuals must contact each of the three major credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – and provide the requisite personal information. While you can do this online, by phone, or by mail, utilizing the online option is generally recommended due to its convenience and time-saving advantages.

How a Credit Freeze Works

When you place a freeze on your credit report, it prevents someone obtaining credit or loans in your name. No lenders will be able to view your credit information, which makes it difficult for bad actors to open new accounts with your information.

When placing a credit freeze, you will either receive a unique PIN or be asked to set up an account that you can use to lift the freeze when you need to apply for credit or open a new account. Your PIN or account password is essential, as it is the only way to lift the freeze and allow access to your credit report.

Without this PIN or password, fraudsters will have a difficult time opening new accounts in your name.

Benefits of a Credit Freeze in Protecting Personal and Financial Information

Credit freezes provide a robust layer of protection against identity theft by preventing unauthorized access to credit reports. With a credit freeze in place, fraudsters are effectively barred from obtaining credit or loans in an individual’s name, significantly reducing the risk of financial losses and reputational damage. This helps minimize the financial impact of identity theft by limiting the potential damage caused by fraudulent transactions.

Temporary Lifting or Complete Removal of a Credit Freeze

Credit freezes can be temporarily lifted or completely removed when an individual needs to apply for loans, credit cards, or utility services. This flexibility ensures that legitimate credit applications are not hampered by the freeze. Understanding when and how to lift or remove the freeze is crucial to avoid potential issues with credit applications.

If you need to apply for credit or open a new account, you will need to lift the credit freeze temporarily. Here’s how you can do it:

Contact the Credit Bureaus

As with the implementation of the credit freeze, you will need to contact each credit bureau and provide your PIN or password to lift the freeze.

Specify the Timeframe

You can specify the timeframe for the lift, such as a specific date or a specific number of days. You’ll need to allow some time for the freeze to be lifted, so plan ahead if you know you’re going to be applying for credit or opening a new account.

Limitations of a Credit Freeze

While credit freezes offer substantial protection against identity theft related to credit checks, they do not safeguard against other types of fraud that do not require credit checks. Tax fraud, for instance, remains a potential threat even with a credit freeze in place. Moreover, credit freezes do not restrict the use of existing credit or bank cards, so stay vigilant and continue to monitor your financial accounts.

Alternatives to a Credit Freeze

While a credit freeze is an effective tool for fraud prevention, it may not be the best choice for everyone. There are other alternatives to consider when trying to protect against identity theft.

• Fraud alerts can be placed on credit reports to notify lenders of potential fraudulent activity.
• Credit monitoring services can also be utilized to track changes to credit reports and receive alerts of suspicious activity.
• Credit locks, while similar to credit freezes, offer more granular control over which entities can access credit reports.

Choosing the most appropriate identity theft prevention measures depends on your own individual circumstances and risk tolerance, so be sure to do your research.

Don’t Get Left Out in the Cold

Credit freezes are a powerful tool in the fight against identity theft, preventing unauthorized access to credit reports and mitigating the risk of fraudulent credit applications. By understanding how they work, the benefits, and the limitations of credit freezes, you can make informed decisions about incorporating them into your identity theft prevention strategies.

Remember that credit freezes are not foolproof and should be used with other protective measures such as fraud alerts, credit monitoring services, and smart financial management practices. By adopting a comprehensive approach, you can help safeguard your personal and financial information and stay safe from identity theft.