Fraud Red Flags

The Internet keeps our world more connected than ever before, especially as more and more people switch to remote working. However, with the ease and connection that being online offers comes an increased risk of being the victim of a cybercrime.

Cybercrime can involve anything from phishing scams to embezzlement, and relies on hackers accessing sensitive data from victims and can be anything from phishing to embezzlement. It has also gone up 600% since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Scammers can employ many tricks to try and compromise your data, so it’s important to be aware. Here are a few of the most common fraud red flags to watch out for.

Rushing or Intimidation

Any unexpected emails or phone calls requesting or demanding information, money, or other actions in an unusually short time frame are a major red flag. By trying to rush you or issuing threats, like legal action, the scammer is hoping that you don’t do your due diligence and discover their scam. Always take time to thoroughly check the situation, and only send over information to authorized parties.

Grammatical Trickery

Not every email with bad grammar is necessarily a scam, but if you see extremely odd grammar or generic greetings like “Greetings, Customer”, be on the lookout! These commonly show up in phishing scams. Also, take a careful look at the email address of the sender. Some letter combinations can be easily mistaken for each other, like “r n” mistaken for “m”. If the letters look off, mark them as spam!

Email Attachments

Email attachments are an easy way for hackers to spread malicious software, so always be wary of attachments. Even if you know the sender, they might be unknowingly infected with a virus.

Also, make sure that you only forward attachments that you have verified are legitimate, so you don’t unwittingly infect friends and colleagues with malware. If you find an email attachment suspicious, DO NOT OPEN IT. Instead, contact your IT department and have them examine it.

With cybercrime on the rise, it’s important to stay vigilant to keep data secure. At Equitable, keeping client data secure is our top priority, and with two-factor authentication, robust privacy protections, and Data-at-rest encryption, you can rest assured that your private data is safe. 

Learn more about how to keep your privacy safe here.