Thank you for rejoining us this week as we continue our series, Top Scams Bank Customers Need to Be Aware Of.
Last week, we here at Somerville National Bank provided some basic statistics on scams that deprive people of billions of dollars annually. We then provided you with information on the most common scams – those involving so-called “debt collection”, ransomware that impacts those that utilize the internet, and the ever-so-common lottery scams that lead unsuspecting individuals to believe that they have won a large amount of money.
This week, we will continue to expound on scams that could detrimentally impact your financial livelihood. Be sure to bookmark us and continue following this series. In the installments that follow this one, you will learn how to properly protect yourself from the scams that we outline.
Scam #4: Government Imposters
Throughout the years, those engaging in fraudulent scams have discovered that, by acting like a government official, that people in the general public are more likely to believe what they have to say and are more willing to take the steps that they desire them to take.
In most instances, these scammers will act as if you owe taxes and they are attempting to collect. In other instances, they may simply state that it appears you have been a subject of identity theft and attempt to collect personal or financial information from you.
Scam #5: Fraudulent Jobs
Many scammers advertise enticing job opportunities to individuals in order to obtain personal information. In some cases, they may even request that you send in money to secure your position and/or obtain needed supplies to perform the work that they are offering you.
Examples of scams involving fraudulent jobs include mystery shopper positions, envelope-stuffing jobs, jewelry making kits, and even being provided money to place in a bank account to report the services offered. It is easy to identify these types of fraudulent activities because – nine times out of ten- they require you to have a bank account and they require your information in order to deposit your money in the said account.
Scam #6: Jury Duty Scams
We all – eventually – get one – a jury duty summons; however, there are some rare occasions when a person may move and miss their summons for jury duty. The scammers out there know this and prey on this. They will simply make phone calls to people and inform them that a warrant has been issued for their arrest for failure to appear to their summons; however, by paying a small fine, the warrant can be reversed and everything can be worked out. In most instances, the scammers want the fine to be paid immediately – by debit or checking account. Naturally, once they obtain the information, the fraudster will withdraw more than the so-called “fine” and ruin the victim, financially.
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