In the last two days I have personally received two reports of a phone scam targeting grandparents. Both calls where slightly different but both were trying get to money. The first report came from my own grandparents. They received a call from a caller claiming to be their "grandson." They even used the designation that I have for my grandmother, which concerned her. Her "grandson" was requesting money to help a friend in need. She promptly told them she was not her "grandson" and hung up. A second call came with the same script. Again, she hung up and this time called me. The next report came from my mother in law saying my wife's grandmother received a call from someone needing money for her grandson, and he gave a correct name, who was injured in an accident. The call was received by his mother who knew the call was a scam. While these scenarios may seems silly to us, a lot of people fall for them because they are quite convincing. The use of the right names and other personal information helps seal the deal for a lot of victims. So what can we do to protect ourselves and our grandparents from these scams? First is to educate them. My grandparents have caller ID and know all the numbers that myself and my family use. The first tip off for my grandmother was the number that came up. Beware these scammers often use local numbers, but probably not your number. Another huge precaution we all can take is to keep as much information about our personal lives off of social media. Everyone likes to answer those questionnaires on Facebook asking about your first car, what street you grew up on, your nickname for your grandmother, the list goes on. Many people do not seem to realize most of those questions are also frequently used security questions for online banking, email accounts, and social media accounts. So PLEASE do not give the criminals your information. I would love to hear what other tips you have for people when it comes to scams, whether they are phone or email scams. Also, tell us your experiences. I have tons myself. I also, as a HIPAA consultant, train offices to look out for phishing scams. Stay vigilant.
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AuthorI am an everyday person who has a passion for technology. I am not a technology guru but rather a everyday user of technology. #techwithtyler is focused on technology that is used by everyday non tech people. I hope to pass along my knowledge to help you better live with and through todays technology. Archives
April 2020
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