{"id":32400,"date":"2023-09-02T15:48:40","date_gmt":"2023-09-02T15:48:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vnsalvation.net\/?p=32400"},"modified":"2023-09-02T16:30:01","modified_gmt":"2023-09-02T16:30:01","slug":"americans-lost-29-8-billion-to-phone-scams-alone-over-the-past-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hahosa.com\/vnsalvation\/americans-lost-29-8-billion-to-phone-scams-alone-over-the-past-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Consumers lost $56 billion to identity fraud last year\u2014here\u2019s what to look out for"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Americans lost $29.8 billion to phone scams alone over the past year<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

But the bulk of the losses last year, $43 billion, stemmed from identity theft scams where criminals interact directly with consumers to steal their information through methods such as robocalls and phishing emails. Victims of these scams lost $1,100 on average, according to Javelin.<\/p>\n

\u201cIdentity fraud has evolved and now reflects the lengths criminals will take to directly target consumers in order to steal their personally identifiable information,\u201d says John Buzzard, a lead fraud and security analyst with Javelin Strategy & Research.<\/p>\n

Because the Covid-19 pandemic changed the way people shopped and transferred money, many criminals targeted digital wallet and peer-to-peer payment methods such as Apple Pay and Zelle. About 18 million victims fell prey to scams through these digital payment methods last year, Javelin found.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe culture of fraud is clearly shifting. The pandemic has created so many more points of vulnerability for families and businesses,\u201d says Paige Schaffer, CEO of global identity and cyber protection services at Generali Global Assistance.<\/p>\n

Here are three common red flags to watch for when it comes to identity theft scams and how to handle them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>1. Unsolicited calls or emails<\/h2>\n
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Spoofing technology has made it easier than ever for scammers to impersonate anyone, from government agencies like the IRS to your favorite retailer. In order to protect yourself, most experts recommend that consumers avoid picking up any calls from unfamiliar phone numbers. Instead, let them roll into voicemail for further scrutiny.<\/p>\n

If you do get a message that you think is legitimately from a government agency, call or email them back through contact information listed on their website. Don\u2019t reply directly.<\/p>\n

If you answer a call, keep in mind that U.S. government agencies won\u2019t ask you to pay for information or services upfront. Additionally, government agencies typically won\u2019t call, text, email or contact you on social media to ask for your Social Security, bank account or credit card number. If you receive messages asking for this information, it\u2019s likely a scam.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>2. High-pressure tactics<\/h2>\n
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Another big tipoff that a call or message is from a scammer is if they say that they need sensitive information right away. It\u2019s usually a red flag if something needs to be done immediately or if there are threats that you\u2019ll lose money if immediate action is not taken.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t allow yourself to be rushed into buying anything or giving away any information.\u00a0\u201cTake a breather,\u201d recommends Ron Schlecht, managing partner at cybersecurity firm\u00a0BTB Security<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And make sure you stay up-to-date on the latest scam tactics and data breaches. The FTC keeps on top of the fraud trends and issues consumer alerts about what they find. You can\u00a0sign up for email<\/a>\u00a0updates or visit the\u00a0FTC\u2019s coronavirus scam page<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>3. Outdated passwords<\/h2>\n
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Many identity theft scams are done by fraudsters who have obtained log-in information from data breaches that have occurred within the past few years.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to regularly check your passwords to see if they\u2019ve been compromised. Google offers a\u00a0free password checkup<\/a>\u00a0tool that shows you which accounts have vulnerable or compromised passwords. Additionally, sites like\u00a0HaveIBeenPwned.com<\/a>\u00a0can help uncover if your email has been involved in a data breach.<\/p>\n

Regularly updating passwords can help shut down unauthorized access to your accounts, says\u00a0James Lee<\/a>, chief operating officer of the Identity Theft Resource Center.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s inconvenient. It\u2019s a pain, but you\u2019ve got to do it,\u201d Lee says. And don\u2019t just use a new password across the board. Lee recommends creating a unique pass phrase on every account, such as the name of a song or a book title. \u201cIt\u2019s easy to remember,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

The longer and more complex you can make it, the more secure your password is. A scammer using encryption tools to hack their way in your account can probably figure out a six-character password that only uses letters\u00a0in a matter of seconds<\/a>, Lee says. But it will take decades to crack a 12-character pass phrase that uses letters and numbers.<\/p>\n

Even if you\u2019re using a secure pass phrase as your log in, Lee also recommends enabling\u00a0two-factor authentication<\/a>\u00a0on your accounts if it\u2019s available. This generally requires you to not only enter a password, but also confirm your identity by logging onto your phone or entering a code texted or emailed to you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Nearly 1 in 3 Americans say they\u2019ve fallen victim to a phone scam in the past year, like the ones where someone calls pretending to be from the IRS or from a company inquiring about an expiring warranty on your vehicle.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s according to a\u00a0new report from Truecaller<\/a>\u00a0that finds roughly 59.4 million Americans have lost money to phone scams over the past year. About 19% fell victim more than once, according to the report, which was undertaken in partnership with The Harris Poll in March 2021.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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