Tech Scams to Watch For
This past Tuesday I was in my office just finishing an appointment when a text popped up on my phone indicating that my bitcoin withdrawal had been confirmed and that if I had any questions to click on the link in the text. Hmmm. I didn’t make any withdrawal request on my bitcoin, so I immediately logged on using my normal method to check my balance and it was safe. A new and dangerous scam just crossed my iPhone. That led me to think about looking up the five most dangerous current tech scams going around. Here they are:
- Employment scams. These are phony job sites or recruitment ads. Some are intended simply to get your personal information. They can either ask for that information as part of the job application, or sometimes they claim you have been offered a job and need to fill out personal information. Some scams involve giving a bonus for training purposes or supplies. The bonus check bounces but not before they request a payback because there was an overpayment.
- Crypto currency scams. I started this Up Early with the one that just hit me. Bitcoin values have soared, so the scammers are particularly interested in crypto. These are very sophisticated scams which typically start with slowly building trust with the victim and then offering an investment opportunity with large returns. The victim is asked to invest their crypto and it’s a disaster.
- Celebrity imposter scams. As ridiculous as it may sound, the most common scam in this way relates to scammers who find emotionally vulnerable victims and make them believe they are in a romantic relationship with a celebrity. The “celebrity” then requests money to start a new charity or for the down payment on a house for both the victim and the celebrity to live in.
- Tech-support scams. This one hit my family about six months ago. A “new” window pops up and freezes the window you are in and requests you click on a button. It usually has a logo of Microsoft or Apple and a menu to eventually get you to someone who asks to be able to get into your computer to fix things. Some scammers simply try to sell useless software maintenance or warranty programs. Remember, no legitimate pop-up window will ever ask you to click on a link and no legitimate company will ask you for permission to get into your computer remotely.
- Card-decline scams. This usually happens with an online purchase. The victim tries to make an online purchase and is told the card was declined when in reality the charge went through and so they try a second time and either receive a second charge or a much larger charge than the first one. The best protection here is to use a credit card rather than a debit card because a debit card is an instant withdrawal while the credit card can be monitored and the credit card company can decline the charge.
The technological breakthroughs in the last decade have made our lives easier, but also made scams much more prevalent and dangerous. AI-powered scams, including voice impersonation and video cloning are not far off. You may read one or more of the five scams above and think it will never happen to you. Think again, in a moment of weakness anyone can fall for something that in hindsight seems ridiculous. Also, you may have a loved one who doesn’t think clearly enough and can get scammed in these areas.
We should all take note of the last command that the referee will give to Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford right before their epic boxing match next week – “Protect yourself at all times.” (I just cannot wait for that fight!!).
Fun fact: Well, here we are in September. Did you know it’s the only month that has the same number of letters in its name as its numerical order (nine).
