WISE PRACTICES Always ignore unsolicited text messages and emails. Don’t answer calls from numbers you don’t know. And never give personal or account information to someone who contacts you via email, text, or phone.
Some include receiving a deposit
from a stranger, then being told it was an error and asking you to send it back. But of course, the deposit isn’t real, and you’re out the money you send back. Protect Yourself: Only use P2P apps
to send money to people you know and trust. Set up a fraud alert with your bank, so you’ll get notified if a P2P looks fishy.
7
If you deposit it, you’ll then be asked to return a portion of the proceeds for an overpayment. For example, they’ll say you’ve won
a $500 prize, but the check is for $1,000. Then the con artist will say it’s an overpayment and ask you to return the $500 by check, PayPal, Zelle, or Venmo. But the scam is that the check is
bad. You “return” the overpayment only to discover that the check bounced, and you’re out $500. Protect Yourself: If you receive a
check from someone you don’t know, call the issuing bank to ensure its legitimacy.
5
ATM Skimming Criminals attach devices
to ATMs that capture your card information and PINs. They then use your card to buy something. Usually, it’s a small charge at first, to test your card. If you don’t catch it, they charge more significant amounts. Protect Yourself: Always inspect
ATMs for suspicious attachments or loose parts before using them. Cover the keypad while entering your PIN to block hidden cameras.
6 Zelle a Hotbed for Hackers
offers more consumer protections. Here are some Zelle cons to watch for:
O
nly use Zelle to send money to a trusted person. Pay for everything else with a debit or credit card, which
Impersonation: A fraudster poses as a friend or family member. They contact you via email, text, Facebook Messenger, or other messaging app and ask you to send money via Zelle for an emergency, e.g., they’re stranded in a foreign country or their car’s been towed. Scammers can also impersonate legitimate businesses, such as a utility company asking for a missing payment. Online romance: These start like
Peer-to-Peer Payments “An area experiencing a rise in
money fraud is peer-to-peer (P2P) payments using Zelle, Venmo, or Cash App,” says Globus. As these platforms become more popular, scams proliferate.
Check washing When a company or government
agency issues paper checks, the checks are mailed to you. “And that means checks sitting in mailboxes,” says Globus. “Just like porch pirates stealing
packages from the front step, we have started to see an increase in the number of checks taken from mailboxes.” Check washing is when either
the payee or the amount — or often, both — are changed. The thief steals the check from your mailbox and modifies it to be deposited in their name or to a third party. Protect Yourself: Have your mail
sent to a lockbox rather than an open mailbox on the road. Or know your mail carrier’s routine and pick up the mail as soon as it’s dropped off. Or sign up for Informed Delivery, a free program that shows you preview images of incoming mail, so you can keep tabs on when checks are arriving.
honest relationships, but eventually (even weeks or months later), the con artist asks you to help them by sending money through Zelle for a challenging personal situation, like needing a lawyer or an urgent home repair. This is a long con, where the fraudster builds a relationship with you before asking for help with money. Facebook Marketplace
or Craigslist: Someone offers merchandise for sale, like a dining set or a pool table, and only accepts Zelle as payment. You send the payment but never receive the goods.
AUGUST 2023 | NEWSMAX MAXLIFE 67
ZELLE/T. SCHNEIDER/SHUTTERSTOCK / ILLUSTRATIO/VECTORIUM/SHUTTERSTOCK
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