Fend Off Fraudsters

One in ten adults falls victim to a scam or fraud yearly. With that knowledge, we at Embers want to keep you protected, informed, and secure. Check out these everyday scenarios you need to be on the lookout for and how to prepare against scammers and fraud.

Hey Embers Members!

Fraud Update: 9/15/23

Did you know that Puppy/pet scams are one of the most common scams we see and can be some of the most difficult to dissuade?

We recently had a scenario with one of our members where the member provided our team with information and was messaged differently. The member said the wire's purpose was to "import puppies." Our team told her this was a common scam, and our member was still convinced it was real.

We all love our pets, and it's hard to resist the cute face of a puppy in a picture that's "proof" that the transaction is legitimate.

If you want to purchase a pet you found online, here are some telltale signs that it's a scam and tips to remember before you wire away your money.

Do your research. Only purchase from reputable dealers.
Only buy after seeing the pet in person. If that's impossible, request a live video call with the pet and breeder.
Conduct a reverse image search of the picture of the pet. If the same picture appears on other websites, it's likely a scam. You can also search for distinctive text from ads or testimonials to see if it's copied from another website.
Avoid wiring money using CashApp or a gift card. These payments offer no way to get your money back - thus, they are the preferred methods of scammers.
Check the process. Research the breed you are purchasing - if the price is too reasonable to be valid for a purebred teacup puppy, it's likely not real.

Fraud Update: 9/7/23

One of the most unfortunate ways you can get scammed is by a phishing attack, which is when a cybercriminal sends you an email, message, social media post, or text that includes a malicious download or link. If the hacker can trick you into clicking, you risk downloading a virus, losing control of an account, or becoming held hostage by ransomware.

Here are some common signs of a phishing message:

-Does it contain an offer that's too good to be true?
-Does it include language that's urgent, alarming, or threatening?
-Is it poorly crafted writing riddled with misspellings and bad grammar?
-Is the greeting ambiguous or very generic?
-Does it include requests to send personal information?
-Does it stress an urgency to click on unfamiliar hyperlinks or attachments?
-Is it a strange or abrupt business request?
-Does the sender's email address match the company it's coming from? Look for little misspellings like pavpal.com or anazon.com.

Fraud Update: 8/28/23

Another rising trend in the fraud world has been remote access. Of the 13 incidents reported, six have involved scammers instructing members to download a remote access app on their device to allow them to screen share as the member logs in to online banking.
A member of ours recently fell for an Amazon phishing text scam, and the fraudster instructed her to download a remote access app to her device. Our member took a loss of $188.00 from her Embers account in addition to gift cards purchased with another financial card.

Never share your password, screen, or online banking, and answer suspicious texts with anyone, even us.