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SHEREE LANCASTER STAR OF THE PINES WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Ten Things You Can Do to Avoid Fraud

OKAY, LET’S TALK ABOUT SCAMMERS AND FRAUD NOW THAT THE SUMMER MONTHS ARE UPON US.

No, not just the swindler playing violin in the grocery store parking lot. I mean, that was kind of a cool soundtrack to my stroll into Harris Teeter, but, in all seriousness, they are out there, in full force and in all forms.

Our community has been hit hard over the last 24 months and it continues. So many Facebook and Instagram friend requests, from what appear to be friends but are not. So many folks getting credit cards, debit cards, check orders and statements for accounts they did NOT open themselves.

How can you protect yourself? On a high level, use your judgement. Well, what if it’s a topic I know nothing about? What if I am not sure? What if it actually seems legit?

Here are a few tips you can follow to avoid being scammed, hacked or defrauded. Put these to memory and share them with your friends and family. Let’s all come together and look out for one another! Spot imposters. Scammers and hackers are constantly pretending to be someone we trust—friends, family, the government, etc. Scammers will always make it sound urgent. They use texts, phone calls, emails, direct messages on social media and regular mail. Best rule of thumb: NEVER give out personal information or send money when the request is unexpected.

Investigate. Type any company into a search engine along with the words scam, complaint or review. This will oftentimes show you if others are receiving similar contact or correspondence that you are questioning. You can even search for phone numbers by using this method.

Don’t believe your caller ID. Technology makes it really easy for a scammer to fake caller ID information. The data you see is not always real. Hang up on those robocalls. If you pick up the phone and hear a recorded sales pitch, hang up and report it to the Federal Trade Commission. We will

discuss this later on, but know, they are actually illegal. Don’t press No. 1 or respond in any way, as that could actually lead to more calls. Or better yet, don’t pick up. Wait to see if they leave a message and block the number if it is suspect.

Consider how you pay. This is a huge thing to think about while traveling, and honestly, each and every day. Use a credit card for purchases instead of your debit card or cash. With a credit card, you normally have recourse on your purchases and you don’t have to type your pin number in a key pad in front of everyone behind you in a store. It is much easier to get a credit on an unauthorized purchase on a credit card than it is from your bank on your debit card.

Don’t carry, show, or count large amounts of cash. You are asking for trouble by drawing attention to yourself and allowing others the knowledge that you have cash to steal. If you must use cash, carry smaller bills and keep only what you need for your journey or for the day. Keep the carrying cash you plan to use in your pocket, and the rest of your cash in a separate location.

Social media privacy. This goes without saying but I will say it anyhow. Do not share every aspect of your life on social media. Sharing all the details of your daily life, family, house layout, children, travel schedule, etc., opens you up to scammers being able to know you as well as your family or friends. That is dangerous on many levels, and fraud may be the least.

Shred your junk mail. Yes, we all receive copious amounts of credit card offers, life insurance quotes that are too good to be true and so on. Do not throw these out whole in your trash. Once that trash leaves your home, do you know who touches it? Me neither. Shred it. Either buy a paper shredder for home use or save it up and bring it to a local Shred Event. I host one each year in April for this very reason.

Is your mailbox safe? Some of us live in an area that has low traffic, few people walking and not a lot of activity. Some of us don’t. If you feel that your mailbox gets way more traffic than it should, then obtain a post office box. This will ensure that your mail will not be tampered with and is safe from those who are looking to try out that credit card offer you got. Also, while traveling, be sure to put a hold on your mail. You can do this online or directly at the post office. As an added tip, go green on your statements and save the hassle of opening and storing them in hard copy.

Change your passwords often. We are all guilty of neglecting this. But setting a little reminder to make a change to those passwords once a quarter and treating it

We are all guilty of this. But setting a little reminder to make a change to those passwords

once a quarter and treating it like a seasonal thing you have to do will go a long way in protecting you and your identity.

like a seasonal thing you have to do will go a long way in protecting you and your identity. Make sure they are not all the same, too. Yes, yes ... I know. But subtle changes and variance in passwords will protect you. That way, if one account is compromised, they won’t all be!

Use an Identity Theft Protection

Service. Discover card literally will do this for you as a cardholder. A number of companies out there will. But if you want to go a step further in the monitoring of your credit, find yourself a monitoring service that is right for your lifestyle and budget.

Don’t, and I mean DON’T, click

that link! I cannot stress this enough. Everything we do nowadays is in our computer or our phones. If you download something from an unknown source, you are adding it to your device. It could be a video of kittens fighting over a piece of cheese, but in the background it could be running a program to steal your information. Just stop yourself and go look it up on YouTube or Tik Tok instead.

What if it’s already happened? Who will help me? What do I do now? Report identity theft to the FTC. In writing this article, one of the sources I used was the FTC brochure on Avoiding Fraud that I picked it up at the Aberdeen Police Department.

I encourage anyone who is experiencing any sort of fraud or scam to reach out to them and local law enforcement. They have a step-by-step process for reporting and self-recovery. The FTC has a toll-free number: 877. FTC.HELP, or you can report online at ftc.gov/complaint.

Happy Summer, happy vacations and happy credit reports to all!

Affiliated with Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC. Securities offered through Capital Investment Group, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC, 100 E. Six Forks Road, Ste. 200, Raliegh, NC 27609 919.831.2370