Be alert to internet, phone scams

WAITSBURG—Recently, I received a voice message from a number I was not familiar with. The message claimed there were actions filed on my social security number for fraudulent activities. The recorded message said I needed to call the provided number before they begin legal proceedings.

This is not the first call or email I have received from someone identifying themselves as a financial or government agency. Before I started getting calls like this, my parents received similar messages. One incident involved my very intelligent and computer-savvy father-in-law. He got a notice from his "bank" that his debit card was being used and he needed to verify his account number and other information to the provided number. The email looked like it came from his bank, had the right letterhead and disclaimers on the bottom.

He bit. Gave the requested information and then thought to warn me of possible scammers like the ones his "bank" had identified.

It seemed odd a financial institution would contact him this way, so we called the bank. They had not contacted him, however, they had flagged some suspicious activity. This activity took place after he responded to the bogus email. Someone in Las Vegas had started charging tens of thousands of dollars on his account. Luckily it turned out to be an easy fix, though, if it could have been worse.

He was very embarrassed that he could be so easily tricked.

That was over ten years ago, and now I am in the right age group to get these scams sent to my email or phone. Perhaps it is my advancing age or they have gotten better at impersonating banks, government agencies and relatives.

There are scams impersonating financial and government institutions and scams that appear to be from family or friends. One common scam directed at seniors appears to be a call or email from a grandchild who needs “grandmother” to send emergency funds.

So, here is what you should do if you get a message from your bank or the IRS requesting you contact them to clear up a problem with your account?

Never give personal information such as social security, birthdate or address. Even if they know the last four digits of your SSN, they may be scammers.

Take all the information you can from the call. Names, phone number, or email address.

Hang up and call the organization the callers claimed to be from.

Contact family members or trusted friends to let them know.

If you have internet accounts, you can check to see if they have posted any notices on your account.

Report the call to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/scam-alerts

Alert family, friends, and the community.

Unless you personally know the person on the other line, take all precautions to protect your identity and financial information.

Don't be afraid to be distrustful when it comes to your personal information!