Spotlight: Back to School
Back to school is in full effect. As parents and students make purchases for the school year, look out for back-to-school scams. If you see a shopping deal that appears too good to be true, it probably is. Try avoiding pop-up ads that appear on your screen while you’re on social media or any website. Fraudsters use these ads to grab your attention with back-to-school shopping deals. Be cautious of all links, including student/parent portal links, that are sent to you by email or text if you are not familiar with the sender. Never provide personal information.
Tips on how to protect yourself from back-to-school scams:
- Don’t provide personal information
- Be sure the site is legitimate before you add a method of payment
- Save receipts and confirmation numbers
Trending: Peer-to-Peer Fraud
Peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers are instant payments sent from one person to another. There are many different apps you can use to send a P2P transfer such as Apple Pay®, Venmo, Cash App and Zelle®. Due to these being instant, fraudsters use them often to get payments through scams such as phishing and impersonation. While these payments can be quick and easy, it’s best to be mindful of who you’re sending payments to and always make sure it is a legitimate receiver.
Tips on how to protect yourself against P2P scams:
- Only use P2P transfers with a person you trust
- Do not accept P2P payment from a person you don’t know
- Use multi-factor authentication to keep your payment profile secure
- Check your profile directly and never trust messages about supposed payment activity
Trending: Identity Theft
Identity Theft occurs when an unauthorized person obtains personal information including name, address, social security number and date of birth. This information can be used to obtain bank account information which could result in account compromise. Fraudsters can obtain your identity by impersonating a legitimate person or business and trick you into providing them with your personal information. If an account is compromised, the fraudster may be able to transfer money out of your account. A fraudster can also use your information to open a new account and transfer money in and out of that new account. There are many ways you can protect yourself from identity theft including not giving out your personal information and regularly checking your credit report.
Tips on how to protect yourself from Identity Theft:
- Monitor your credit and look out for activity you don’t recognize
- Don’t give out personal information
- Shred documents with sensitive information if you don’t need them
- Regularly check your bank and credit card statements
