Protect your information!
Think before you share! Before you put your personal information online, be wise about Wi-Fi, what you post and who you share with. Shred personal information and pay close attention to your surroundings. After all, you’re protecting something important, your identity.
Click the link below for an interactive timeline of major data breaches that have created enormous Identity Theft concerns for each and every one of us.
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/worlds-biggest-data-breaches-hacks/
Stay up-to-date on potential scam alerts. The more you know, the more precautions you can take.
- Newsletter 1 – Phishing Emails Impersonate White House, Trump, Give False COVID-19 Guidance
- Newsletter 2 – Grandparent Scams in the Age of Coronavirus
- Newsletter 3 – FBI Warns of Emerging Health Care Fraud Schemes Related to COVID-19 Pandemic
- Newsletter 4 – FBI: COVID-19 Cyberattacks Spike 400% in Pandemic
- Newsletter 5 – Economic Impact Payment COVID-19 Scams
Take Control! Click here for additional tips to safeguard your identity
Be consistent and create a regular routine to be sure your identity is secure. Watch your bank account statements, credit cards statements and be sure to check your accounts online. Some of the signs of identity theft can be:
- Withdrawals from your bank account that you can’t explain - You don’t get your regular bills or statements.
- Debt collectors call you about debts that aren’t yours - You find unfamiliar accounts or charges on your credit report.
- Medical providers bill you for services you didn’t use.
- Medical providers bill you for services you didn’t use. A health plan won’t cover you because your medical records show a condition you don’t have.
- The IRS notifies you that more than one tax return was filed in your name, or that you have income from an employer you don’t work for.
- You get notice that your information was compromised by a data breach at a company where you do business or have an account.
Phishing Emails Impersonate White House, Trump, Give False COVID-19 Guidance
Americans anxious over the spread of COVID-19 could be forgiven for falling for an email that purports to provide information on the pandemic from “The Federal Government, President Donald Trump,” but is instead a phishing scheme originating from a Russian email account.
In a company blog post and research report, email security company INKY reported its discovery of the campaign, was designed to infect victims with an unspecified malware program. Hackers have been busily turning out phishing campaigns impersonating the likes of the WHO and CDC ever since the coronavirus began its frightening spread.
“Mushrooming phishing attacks are now fairly trivial to launch as they do not require any in-depth technical knowledge, even for large-scale campaigns,” said Ilia Kolochenko, founder and CEO at ImmuniWeb. “Exacerbated by working from home, and thus less protected users, phishing is now a formidable arm in the hands of unscrupulous cybercriminals profiteering from the virus and highly susceptible victims.”
Source: Merchants Information Solutions, Inc. and FTC.gov
Scams are growing exponentially with the growing Coronavirus. Stay vigilant. This is being provided as information only and should not be used in lieu of legal advice.
Grandparent Scams in the Age of Coronavirus
“Grandma: I’m in the hospital, sick, please wire money right away.” “Grandpa: I’m stuck overseas, please send money.” Grandparent scams can take a new twist – and a new sense of urgency – in these days of Coronavirus. Here’s what to keep in mind.
In grandparent scams, scammers pose as panicked grandchildren in trouble, calling or sending messages urging you to wire money immediately. They’ll say they need cash to help with an emergency – like paying a hospital bill or needing to leave a foreign country. They pull at your heartstrings so they can trick you into sending money before you realize it’s a scam. In these days of Coronavirus concerns, their lies can be particularly compelling. But we all need to save our money for the real family emergencies.
So, how can we avoid grandparent scams or family emergency scams? If someone calls or sends a message claiming to be a grandchild, other family member or friend desperate for money:
- Resist the urge to act immediately – no matter how dramatic the story is.
- Verify the caller’s identity. Ask questions that a stranger couldn’t possibly answer. Call a phone number for your family member or friend that you know to be genuine. Check the story out with someone else in your family or circle of friends, even if you’ve been told to keep it a secret.
- Don’t send cash, gift cards, or money transfers – once the scammer gets the money, it’s gone!
For more information or to report a scam call, report it to the FTC at ftc.gov/compliant.
Source: Merchants Information Solutions, Inc. and FTC.gov
Scams are growing exponentially with the growing Coronavirus. Stay vigilant. This is being provided as information only and should not be used in lieu of legal advice.
FBI Warns of Emerging Health Care Fraud Schemes Related to COVID-19 Pandemic
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning the public about several emerging health care fraud schemes related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bad actors are selling fake COVID-19 test kits and unapproved treatments through telemarketing calls, social media platforms, and door-to-door visits. Many scammers are promising free care to patients in order to gain access to their personal and health insurance information, including their dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and financial data. The FBI wants the public to be aware.
COVID-19 Testing Schemes
Beware of individuals who contact you in person, by phone, or by email to tell you the government or government officials require you to take a COVID-19 test. These scammers will likely ask for your health insurance information, including your Medicare or Medicaid number, and other personal information. Prior health care fraud investigations have shown that once scammers obtain an individual’s personal information, they use it to bill federal health care programs and/or private health insurance plans for tests and procedures the individual did not receive and pocket the proceeds. Be cautious of any unsolicited offers that require or request your medical insurance information.
Also beware of individuals offering to sell you a COVID-19 test kit or supplies, especially when these contacts are unexpected. A physician or other trusted health care provider should assess your condition and approve any requests for COVID-19 testing. Some scammers are selling fake at-home test kits; some are even going door-to-door and performing fake tests for money. Legitimate tests are offered free to patients when administered by a health care professional.
COVID-19 Treatment Schemes
Legitimate medical professionals and scientists throughout the U.S. are working hard to find a cure, approved treatment, and vaccine for COVID-19. Unfortunately, they don’t yet exist. At the same time, scammers are working hard to sell fake cures, treatments, and vaccines. Ignore unsolicited offers for these fake procedures. Do not provide any personal information, including your financial information, Medicare or Medicaid number, or private health insurance information to anyone offering them.
When an approved treatment or cure becomes available, the first time you hear about it will not be through an email, telephone call, online advertisement, or unsolicited in-person sales pitch from a stranger.
You should also beware of scammers claiming to be medical professionals and demanding payment for treating a friend or relative for COVID-19.
If you do receive treatment for COVID-19, be sure to check the medical bills and the explanation of benefits from your provider, government health program, or insurance company. Be sure you are not billed for medical services you did not receive and that the dates of service are accurate. If you spot an error, call your medical provider and your insurance company.
You may also consult your primary care physician for guidance.
Source: Merchants Information Solutions, Inc. and FTC.gov
Scams are growing exponentially with the growing Coronavirus. Stay vigilant. This is being provided as information only and should not be used in lieu of legal advice.
FBI: COVID-19 Cyberattacks Spike 400% in Pandemic
Online crimes reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) have roughly quadrupled since the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, a senior cybersecurity official said in a webinar hosted by the Aspen Institute last week.
The number of cybersecurity complaints to the IC3 in the last four months has spiked from 1,000 daily before the pandemic to as many as 4,000 incidents in a day, said Tonya Ugoretz, the deputy assistant director of the FBI’s cyber wing, The Hill reported.
In particular, foreign nation-state hackers are going after organizations, such as healthcare institutions and research facilities, working on treatments for Covid-19, Ugoretz said. (via Reuters) “We certainly have seen reconnaissance activity, and some intrusions, into some of those institutions, especially those that have publicly identified themselves as working on COVID-related research,” she said. While it’s not uncommon for nation state hackers to target the biopharmaceutical industry, “it’s certainly heightened during this crisis,” the FBI official said.
Read more here: https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-news/fbi-covid-19-cyberattacks-spike-400-in-pandemic/
Source: Merchants Information Solutions, Inc. and FTC.gov
Scams are growing exponentially with the growing Coronavirus. Stay vigilant. This is being provided as information only and should not be used in lieu of legal advice.
Economic Impact Payment COVID-19 Scams
Taxpayers slated to receive automated economic impact payments through the IRS are being targeted by scammers looking to profit off of the automatic payments being distributed into taxpayer bank accounts.
The IRS is urging taxpayers to look out for these scams which often include keywords such as "stimulus check" and "stimulus payment", as the official term from the IRS is "economic impact payment."
In addition, in anticipation of checks being mailed to those individuals with whom the treasury department does not have electronic means of depositing the payments, scammers are sending fake checks asking individuals to confirm sensitive personal information.
- You should never be asked to sign over your economic impact payment for any reason. Fraudsters may attempt to get you to sign your check over in exchange for additional funds or future payments.
- The IRS will not contact you by phone email, text or via social media for verification of any personal or bank account information.
- Be aware of anyone claiming they can "speed up" your economic impact payment.
- If you receive a check accompanied by a request to call or go online to verify your personal information in order to cash the economic impact payment it is a scam. The IRS will never ask you to call to verify any information in order to cash your economic impact payment check.
Visit the IRS Tax related scams web page here: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-scams-consumer-alerts
For more information on the economic impact payments, to see if you are eligible to receive a payment, to request your payment, to calculate how much you may receive, and for more information on receiving your payment please visit the dedicate IRS page here: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payment-information-center
Source: Merchants Information Solutions, Inc. and FTC.gov
Scams are growing exponentially with the growing Coronavirus. Stay vigilant. This is being provided as information only and should not be used in lieu of legal advice.
