Summer of Scams – Four Ways to Protect Yourself

It seems like the scamming never stops. I get multiple scam and phishing email and text messages every day. Most of these are obvious scams, but some are very well crafted and it’s easy to see how people can be tricked.

Here are a few examples of Scams from my Inbox:

This first one claims to be from Social Security saying that there is a discrepancy in my 2025 earnings. The email included a helpful link so I could log into my account right from the email. Instead, I went to SSA.gov and logged into my account to see about this “discrepancy” in my 2025 earnings.

The second one warns that our email will be deactivated if we don’t confirm by a certain day. Again, they provided a helpful link.  I took a close look  at  the  “to” address  and saw that it wasn’t  from  my  email  provider.

Here’s a text I got. Notice the phone numbers don’t match, and my “child” didn’t ask me to call them on the new number, just respond with a text. When I got this text to “Mom”, I called both of my kids to see what was up. Worst case, they really did change their phone from a Boulder number to a Virginia area code. (They didn’t!)

And, of course, there’s the “We charged your card on file $399.99. If there’s a problem, please give us a call.” This one is slightly different in that it came via Paypal, and doesn’t say what the “Subs-cription” is for. These generally say they are from an anti-virus software company. When you call the number, highly trained scammers will answer insisting that you probably already have a virus and need to let them log into your computer to see. That’s when they’ll upload malware onto your PC or Mac.

Then there’s the “Keanu Scam” aka the “Costner Scam”. I don’t have any personal emails or texts about this one, but the Hollywood Reporter recently published an article about how this is playing out, primarily on Facebook.

What do these examples tell us?

Whenever you get an email that makes you upset or angry, take a minute to look at where it is coming from. Is it from someone you know who is already in your address book? Is it about an account you have already?

How to protect yourself from scams?

1. Change your passwords:

There have been many data breaches recently, and millions of email/password combinations have been “harvested”.

Complaint acknowledged: I know! Once you change your password for an app, you must change it on your phone, tablet, computer, and anywhere else you use the app as well. It’s a hassle, but do it. (Here’s a recent blog on creating a secure password.)

a. First Priority:

Change your password for ALL your online financial accounts (banks, credit cards, investment, PayPal, etc.). Do this today and then, monthly.

b. Second Priority:

Change your password for your shopping accounts (Patagonia, L.L.Bean, REI, etc.), and ANY account where you have saved your credit card info. Put a note in your calendar and do this every month. When making an online purchase, uncheck that box that says “Save all my information for future purchases”.

c. Tie for Second Priority:

Your social media accounts are a treasure trove for scammers. If your account gets hacked, the scammers can post on your account. This is how I got scammed last year.  (Read about how I got scammed here.) When you get a Private Message asking for money, confirm it’s really from your friend. (Did their car REALLY break down in Omaha?) When you see that your friend is selling something on Marketplace, give them a call directly and ask.

Recommendation: Change the password on all of your social media accounts at least monthly.

2. Set up 2FA:

For key accounts, especially all of your financial accounts, set up Two-Factor Authentication. Then, you’ll receive a phone call or text message with a code to enter when signing in. I’ve done this for my financial accounts and the account which manages GeekForHireInc.com.

3. Independently verify info:

When the email, text, or phone call you’ve received causes alarm OR if you wonder if it’s true, take a minute to check via a known good source. For example, when I received the email from Social Security notifying me of a “discrepancy”, I went to SSA.gov and logged into my account to see what they said about my 2025 earnings. With the text to “Mom”, I called both of my kids to see what was up. Worst case, they really did change their phone to a number with a Virginia area code. (They didn’t!)

a. Email Scams:

Read your emails very carefully. Scammers know we get a lot of emails this time of year, especially from online shopping accounts. They can guess that we might be ordering from Amazon or Costco and may email us saying there is a “problem” with our order. They want us to click on this handy link they’ve provided. The email has an excellent rendition of the Amazon logo, and they have “spoofed” the URLs to make them look like the link will direct you to Amazon. Don’t fall for it! Go to your account and verify any problems there.

One especially tricky email is from Norton and other anti-virus/security providers. They email that they will process your “subscription renewal” on a future date for big buck$. If you don’t want to renew, just call the number in the email. Then, they ask for permission to access your computer to make sure you don’t have any viruses. If you let them, they’ll have fun. You end up with stolen data and malware on your machine.

b. Text Scams:

Texts and emails are the most common way to get pulled into phishing scams. By now, we all know that text messages from “USPS” or “FedEx” about delayed deliveries are scams. Read the message carefully. Is it coming from a number you’ve already saved on your phone? Don’t click on that link! Go to the app or website you already have to confirm there is a problem and correct it there.

4. Phone Call Scams:

When you get a phone call from a number you don’t recognize, don’t answer the call. If it’s legit, they’ll leave a message and you can call them back.

Conclusion:

Use secure passwords wherever you log in, AND change your passwords frequently. Be incredibly diligent with Social Media and Financial accounts!