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Scammers are more active than ever before, constantly coming up with clever new ways to steal your personal and financial information. We’ll work to help you spot (and avoid) common scams and make it easy to alert us when you need to.
Scammers seem to always have a new trick up their sleeve. Whether it’s bank imposter schemes, IRS tax cons or anything in between, we’ll help you steer clear of their fraudulent activity.
In general, always be cautious of offers that appear out of the blue. And if something seems too good to be true, it usually is. Let’s examine some other telltale signs of a scam:
Convincing scammers will oftentimes pretend to reach out on behalf of the government, your workplace, a utility or other organizations you’re familiar with.
Scammers love to inflict a sense of fear and urgency to make you act. Whether it’s a past-due payment, a sudden family emergency that requires forwarding money or something similar, it could be a scam.
If you recently learned that you won a “lottery” or an exciting “sweepstakes,” there’s a good chance it’s a scam. The only thing you may have scored is a massive headache. Beware of sudden lucky streaks.
The concept of time (or lack thereof) is gold for scammers. They’d love nothing more than for you to act before you have a chance to think. Don’t rush it! And don’t give in to pressure: Vet their claims.
If someone insists you make a payment that seems odd, it’s likely a scam. Don’t deposit a mysterious check then forward the money. Also, avoid random transfers, as well as loading and sharing gift cards.
Scammers target people from all walks of life. Anyone could become a victim, so as a general best practice, be mindful of the following:
If there’s ever a shred of doubt about a requestor’s trustworthiness, don’t give out your Social Security number, card PIN, account number or other sensitive information, especially virtually. Also, avoid sharing security login information that can be easily deduced, such as your pet’s name, date of birth or mother’s maiden name.
Until they identify themselves aptly and appropriately, you don’t owe anyone anything! At least not until you can verify they are who they say they are. As a general rule, don’t forward funds to unknown solicitors. Take your time in confirming their identity.
Legitimate organizations usually won’t pressure you until you give in; they’ll give you time to consider their request and respond accordingly. Again, it’s important to know who you’re dealing with. Whether you’ve only met someone online or are unsure that a business reaching out to you really exists, take time to examine the ask closely. Do your research.
Hover your mouse over email links to see the URL you’re being asked to visit. Do an online search for the supposed company that’s reaching out to you. Look up the phone number that called you to make sure it matches what’s publicly listed. Long story short: never simply assume a solicitor’s credentials are legit. Additionally, don’t reply to emails you suspect are from scammers, even if it’s to tell them to stop reaching out to you. If anything, this lets them know your email is still active. (Don’t let them win!)
Allowing someone you neither know nor trust access to your digital devices can give them the opportunity to easily plant a virus or freely uncover your personal and financial information.
Never pay someone who wants you to forward funds using a method that seems unconventional. Additionally, if an unknown person sends you a check, do not deposit it – send any money or checks back to them immediately.
If you sense your Gate City Bank accounts have been affected by a scam, or even if a suspected scammer merely reached out to you, contact us and we can help you with next steps. We monitor your accounts 24/7 to protect you from fraud, so you can rest easy.
Whether you wish to better understand antivirus software to defend your digital data, learn more about the latest fraud trends or anything in between, we’ve assembled and addressed FAQs to help guide your path.
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When it comes to securing your personal and financial information, we’re always by your side, deterring fraud in multiple ways.
Easily gain knowledge about security and fraud protection by checking out a number of our fraud prevention resources.
Contact us and a trained fraud specialist will be happy to assist you. Also, get a snapshot of the latest scams on our radar.
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