Pacific Western Bank Managers discussed telephone and email scams.
Fallbrook Branch Manager Carla and Bonsall Branch Manager Lisa Hebb help clients work through scams. First off, our speakers passed out National Fraud Hotline 1-833-FRAUD-11 documents from the Office of Victims of Crime. George joked that you can’t hacked as easily from paperwork.
Mila talked about her brother got hacked when someone took his voice from his Youtube channel. They used his voice to call Mila’s mom making the scam call more real. It didn’t work.
There are some types of fraud with your children texting for money. Wait for an actual phone call! Kathye commented that her kids don’t call her for money. They know better than that!
In the end, do the following:
- Report spam for all unknown emails especially ones with links.
- Remember the logo on the email doesn’t mean it is a true email.
- Hover over email addresses to see if it is a true email.
- Delete texts from unknown banks where you don't have an account.
- Block phone numbers you don't recognize.
- Resist posting vacation pictures until you are home.
- Call your bank before giving away codes or info on the phone.
- Use your credit card with more security than debit cards.
- Avoid getting mad at the teller who asked if a charge is proper.
In the United States, victims have lost more than 3.1 billion dollars. There are multiple scams: IRS calls, sweepstakes winners, government or bank impersonations, romances online or lost children in Mexico. Statistics don’t include those who are afraid to report to police, credit cards or banks. It is due to embarrassment and fear. For more information, contact the Office for Victims of Crime.